


A Trip Into the Woods

by riverdalenerdlol



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fanfiction, Gen, Ghoulies, Joavin, M/M, Northside, Riverdale, Romance, bughead - Freeform, choni, mature - Freeform, serpents, southside, varchie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-08-20 21:07:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 63
Words: 81,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16563146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverdalenerdlol/pseuds/riverdalenerdlol
Summary: "She's not dead, boy," FP said and got up, pulling back the light blue curtain. He continued, "But they got her good. Possibly worse than you."Jughead Jones married the love of his life, Betty Cooper, at the age of 20. When Betty became pregnant two months later, she and Jughead had a deal: if the child was a girl, Betty would choose the first name and Jughead would choose the middle name, and vice versa if it was a boy. That next July when Betty went into labor, she gave birth to a little girl. Keeping with their promise, Betty and Jughead chose first and middle names respectively. Betty went with "Lily" for the first name, and Jughead chose "Elizabeth" in honor of Betty. Jughead and Betty designated more than two godparents. Veronica and Archie Andrews, Cheryl and Toni, FP Jones, Alice Cooper, Sweet Pea, and Fangs Fogarty in that order.Our story here begins, not with romance, but of love of another sort. It begins on the night that Lily Jones, 16 years old, got a call from her father. Her response to said call would change the course of her life forever. Her reaction could save a life, or it could cost twice the original price.





	1. The Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A background of Lily's genetics... Lily's hair is dark, like Jughead, but it's brown, not black. It waves and curls up like Betty's hair, but it can get unruly like Jughead's. She gets her green eyes and smile from Betty, but she's pale like Jughead (and sunburns super easily). Cheryl describes Lily's hair as "Blossom Curls with a Jones twist", alluding to Cheryl's fiery red curls and Jughead's messy locks.

### The Woods

Lily knew where her father was. She ran full speed down the dimly lit street until she came upon a fire pit, where she saw Jughead's grey crown beanie on the ground and heard the sound of several people muffled through the treeline.

"Dad!" Lily panted. She put her hands on her knees, trying to regain her breath for a moment. Lily straightened up and ran into the trees. She saw a dirt path through the trees that she began to follow until she found a few of the remaining Ghoulies beating someone on the ground.

"Hey!" She called out and stepped towards them, pulling out her switchblade. One turned around. He had dark, curly hair and white and black face paint on. The switchblade in Lily's hand clicked as the knife opened. She ran towards the Ghoulie, and he ran towards her. They fought only for a moment, as Lily was too quick for the guy. She cut him twice and stabbed him in the upper thigh, then left him on the ground to deal with the other three. One other turned around and ran at Lily, and she went to punch him when he grabbed her fist, then she stabbed his shoulder with her other hand. The Ghoulie let go and grabbed his shoulder.

Lily heard a motor stop in the distance. Then she heard her name.

"JUG?! LILY?!" The voice sounded deep and familiar.

Lily turned around. That's when two of the three Ghoulies grabbed her by the arms, turned her around, and tased her. Lily fell to the ground, limp. Her head leaned towards the person on the ground. One of his eyes was swollen shut, there was a pound of flesh missing from his right shoulder, and blood and dirt were caked all over his body. He was unconscious at the least, possibly dead.

Wait, Lily thought, that's where Dad's Serpent tattoo is...

One of the three guys stomped on her left forearm, breaking it. Lily howled in pain and another crushed her left kneecap. She screamed again. The scream was agonizing, enough to make anyone cry. Though she wanted to, Lily couldn't move from the shock of the taser. She ached to hold her arm to her chest, but she wasn't able to. She was sprawled on the ground, only able to move her eyes.

Lily was fading in and out of consciousness from the tasing. The men flipped her over and took her switchblade, cutting the backs of her legs as if they were horizontal striped tights. She squealed in pain after each cut. She counted them. The Ghoulie alternated, so that there were the same amount on each leg.

One... Two... Her now broken arm lay in front of her head, so that her chin slightly dug into her shoulder. She could no longer see her dad on the ground. Three... Four... Five... Six... Her other arm was flat behind her, and her shattered left knee was bent painfully so that the inside of her thigh was hitting the ground. Seven... Eight... Nine...

Lily's tears were pouring out of her eyes, but she barely registered it as she watched a tall, dark figure running towards where she was laying on the ground. The taser made her partially numb. Ten... Eleven... Twelve... Then the remaining Ghoulies ran, seeing who it was. The man who approached was wearing a black leather jacket. His hair was black, turning to grey.

Lily could barely register her grandfather. She fell unconscious as FP Jones gasped, seeing his son and granddaughter bloodied and on the ground.


	2. Tears and Crown Beanies

**Tears and Crown Beanies**

 

FP had Jughead's grey beanie in one hand, his other clapped to his mouth. Lily's crown beanie was still on top of her wavy, dark hair. Jughead's shirt sleeves on his S t-shirt were torn off, exposing the gaping hole in his shoulder.

 

FP turned around, realizing he had to get both of them out of the woods quickly. He began to run back into the clearing and saw that there were a lot of Jughead's friends and family standing around. Toni, Cheryl, Sweetpea, Fangs, and some other Serpents had followed FP out of the White Wyrm. Veronica and Archie pushed through the crowd of Serpents, led by Betty Cooper, now Betty Jones.

 

"Where are they, FP?" She asked. He didn't hear her. He was too worried about his son and granddaughter. She tried to ask again, but he cut her off.

 

"Archie, come here. Now."

 

The built redhead passed by Betty and Veronica.

 

"What is it, Mr. Jones?" He asked. FP didn't answer his question.

 

"Follow me, I need your help," he said. FP took off into the woods again. Archie followed behind him until they came upon the break in the path where Lily and Jughead lay, still unconscious.

 

"Mr. Jones, is that-?"

 

"You get Lily, I'll get Jughead." FP walked over to his son and picked him up, so that Jughead was laying across his arms. Archie did the same with Lily, his goddaughter. Both were in tears. FP was relieved to find that Jughead was still breathing, but lightly. He looked up at Archie, who was staring down at Lily.

 

"She breathing?" FP asked.

 

"We're starting to lose her," Archie mumbled. "Is he?"

 

"Barely," FP replied. "We need to get out of here." Archie nodded. They took off down the trail, holding the two close to their chests. Archie saw the edge of the woods up ahead.

 

"BETTY START YOUR CAR!" Archie screamed as he came through the trees. Betty was frozen in place as she watched her husband and 16 year-old daughter being carried out of the woods, bloodied and broken.

 

"J-Jug... L-Lily..." Betty stammered.

 

"BETTY! NOW!" FP cried. Veronica pulled on Betty's arm, and she stumbled backwards, still staring at FP and Archie with her family in their arms. She reached out to grab one of them but Veronica kept pulling her towards the car. She pulled the keys out of Betty's hand, and ran around to the driver's side of the car. Archie and FP put Lily and Jughead in the backseat. Betty and FP climbed in the back, and Archie hopped in the front.

 

Betty had Lily in her arms, while FP was still holding onto Jughead. Tears were streaming down their faces as Veronica hit the gas hard. The tires screeched as they pulled off, speeding towards the hospital. Many of the Serpents behind them were mounting their bikes and following behind Veronica. She whipped around a corner quickly, making Archie grab hold of the handle on the roof.

 

"Easy, Ronnie, it's not Grand Theft Auto!" He cried.

 

"Under these circumstances, it might as well be, Archie!"

 

Veronica pulled up to the hospital in a matter of minutes. Archie and Veronica hopped out of the front seat. Veronica held the door open for FP, and Archie pulled Betty's door open and grabbed Lily, following behind FP. Veronica ran around to Betty's side and helped her out. Betty immediately embracing Veronica, tears flooding from her eyes.

 

"We made it, B. Everything's going to be alright."

 

They stood in the parking lot, holding each other close for about ten minutes. Finally, Veronica spoke again.

 

"We should go inside, Betty. FP probably needs you there."

 

"Why would he need me?" Betty mumbled.

 

"You're his daughter-in-law. Closest thing to family that isn't in a hospital bed."

 

Betty nodded, and Veronica escorted her through the hospital doors. They found FP and Archie sitting in the waiting area, looking tense. FP had Jughead and Lily's crown beanies in his hands. Archie had blood on one arm of his jacket, from where the Ghoulies cut Lily. They both stood and faced Betty and Veronica as they walked in. Betty and FP embraced tightly. FP whispered what the doctors told him as he came in.

 

"Dr. Masters says that it's lucky we got them here when we did, and that they're both going to be okay. They're both unconscious..."

 

FP's words faded as Betty found herself crumbling in his hold.

 

My world is falling apart, Betty thought as her knees gave out.

 

FP held Betty up, and Veronica and Archie came, creating a group hug around her. FP handed Lily's beanie to Betty.

 

"D'you mind if I hold onto Jug's for now?" he whispered.

 

"Go ahead," Betty mumbled, stroking Lily's grey knit crown in her hands.


	3. Waiting, More Waiting, and Realizations

A few minutes later, Veronica was sitting next to Betty; FP and Archie across from them. The rest of the Serpents showed up. Toni and Cheryl came running in, hand in hand, Sweet Pea and Fangs trailing close behind. There were many Serpents that came in behind them. Cheryl sat down on the left side of her cousin, Toni on Cheryl's right. Sweet Pea and Fangs stood with the rest of the Serpents.

Two hours after the Serpents came into the waiting room, Doctor Masters came out. The six that were sitting stood up and faced him as he approached Betty and FP.

"Mrs. Jones, Mr. Jones, Jughead and Lily are in stable condition and will recover fully from their current state," Dr. Masters said. The whole room had a sigh of relief. "Mr. Jughead Jones' main concern is the chunk of skin that was cut out of his shoulder, while Ms. Lily Jones has more concerns."

"W-What kind of concerns?" Betty stuttered.

"From what we can tell, Ms. Jones' left knee has been crushed, her left forearm is shattered, she was tased, and she has horizontal cuts down the backs of both of her legs. We're still waiting on her X-Rays to develop. Both Mr. and Ms. Jones are stable, but we may need to take Ms. Jones into surgery to fix her knee and forearm. We'll talk about that when she wakes up."

"When can I see them?" Betty asked

"Mr. Jones' bleeding has stopped, and Ms. Jones is getting her injuries stabilized... I would say in no more than an hour, Mrs. Jones," Doctor Masters said.

"Thank you," Betty said. They shook hands. The doctor turned to FP and shook his hand too, then Dr. Masters went back from where he came. They all sat down again with a sigh of relief.

Half an hour later, Doctor Masters came back and told Betty and FP that Jughead and Lily were being held in the same room with a dividing curtain and showed them to the room. Betty entered first, followed by FP. Lily was to the right of Jughead and the first person seen when one walked through the door.

The staff had tied back her dark, wavy hair and slightly inclined the head of her hospital bed. She was tucked under the sheets with a tube strung across her face that was pumping air. There was a noticeable bulge around her left knee. Dr. Masters said that they had to carefully put a brace on Lily's knee, so that the injury wouldn't become worse. Lily's arms were across her stomach, her left hand over her right. There was a large brace all the way up her arm with noticeable emphasis on the forearm and elbow. All of the dirt had been wiped off of her face and arms. Betty thought that she looked peaceful. Asleep. FP put a hand on Lily's shoulder. She didn't wake.

Betty moved past her daughter and the dividing curtain. Jughead's bed was close to the window. Betty almost fell over when she saw him. The blood had been cleaned off, revealing several cuts and a few bruises all around his face. There were sections of gauze taped on in three places. He had a tube just like Lily's, pumping air. His heartbeat was being monitored. Jughead had cuts and bruises down both his arms, and his right shoulder looked thicker than the other. The head of the bed was inclined at a 45 degree angle, just like Lily's. Betty knew that there must have been multiple layers of dressings under the hospital gown, and not just on his shoulder. She heard FP sit down in the chair with a thump.

"Betty, you should go home. Get some rest. I'll let you know if anything changes," FP grumbled. He didn't want her there if he was going to break into tears.

"W-What?" Betty asked, caught off-guard.

"Betty, let me take the night. You go home and get some sleep and a shower. It's the least that I can do..."

"Mr. Jones, I can't let you do that..."

"Betty, you give Jughead so much joy," FP said. "You and Lily are all he talks about. Let me do this for you. I'll call you if either of them wakes."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones..." Betty mumbled. She turned to leave after placing a kiss on Jughead and Lily's heads when FP caught her attention again.

"Don't go home alone. Take someone with you," he said to her.

"Alright. I'll see you in the morning." Betty waved to him. FP waved back, and Betty exited the room, closing the door behind her. She walked down the hall, looking at the floor and thinking.

Archie, Veronica, Cheryl, and Toni stood as Betty came into the waiting area.

"Is everything okay, Betty?" Cheryl asked. Betty's head shot up as she realized where she was.

"Uh, yeah they're gonna be alright," Betty said without wanting to go into details. "FP's going to stay the night with both of them. He insisted that I go home."

"Do you want us to come with you, B? You shouldn't be alone right now..." Veronica asked.

"As many of you that want to come are welcome to," Betty said.

"Archie and I are coming with you," Veronica added. Archie nodded.

"Cheryl and I are coming too," Toni smiled.

"I'm in," Sweetpea said.

"Me too," Fangs added.

"We should get going, then," Veronica said. "I'll drive. Betty's got shotgun. Archiekins, you're in the backseat --- don't fight me on this I will fight back, Arch."

Archie put his hands up in surrender as Veronica linked arms with Betty and they walked out, followed by Cheryl, Toni, Sweetpea, and Fangs.

Veronica, who still had the keys, hopped in the front with Betty, and Archie slid in the back. The rest of them took their motorcycles and followed behind Betty's car.


	4. Betty's Trauma

Veronica parked the car and escorted Betty inside her house and into her room. Veronica, Betty, Cheryl, and Toni had a sleepover in the master bedroom, while the boys had the living room all to themselves. The girls talked until Betty was able to fall asleep, and the rest followed suit. The boys got some snacks and talked until they conked out on the sofas and the floor.

That night, Betty had a nightmare about Lily and Jughead coming out of the woods, but they were both dead. Betty tried to yell, reach out, and go towards FP and Archie holding Lily and Jughead, but she was frozen to the spot.

She woke in a cold sweat and sat up, breathing hard. Veronica was standing next to the bed she was sleeping in.

"Betty, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." Betty stuttered. She saw that Toni and Cheryl were also awake, staring at her from their sleeping bags on the floor.

"No, you're not, B. I can see right through that. You were having a fit in your sleep," Veronica said, climbing onto the bed and sitting next to Betty. "I know you too well for you to lie right to my face. What were you dreaming about?"

Betty paused before answering. Tears welled in her eyes. "I saw... FP and Archie... carrying Lily and Jughead... but they were both dead," Betty cried. "And I couldn't move... I was paralyzed, Veronica... Helpless..."

"Woah, woah, B. You're not helpless," Veronica said. "We're talking about the girl who solved Jason Blossom's murder, found the Sugarman, and almost single-handedly caught the Black Hood."

"Don't forget about that break-in to your dad's apartment with me. You were like a CSI Nancy Drew." Cheryl said.

Betty chuckled and looked over at her cousin. Cheryl smiled.

"Thanks," Betty said. Veronica glanced at the clock next to Betty's bed.

"It's 6 am, we should probably get to the hospital soon," she said quietly.

"Yeah, I guess so," Betty replied. The four girls got up and dressed. Veronica went downstairs and woke the guys, who were strewn throughout the living room.

Betty hopped in the driver seat with Veronica in the passenger side and Archie in the back. Cheryl, Toni, Sweet Pea, and Fangs got on their motorcycles and took off behind Betty.

Ten minutes later, they all pulled into the hospital parking lot and walked inside. Betty left the rest of them in the waiting room as she walked down the hall to where Jughead and Lily were. Betty found FP asleep in the chair next to Jughead's bed. Lily and Jughead were still unconscious. Lily's head was tilted towards the door and rested on the pillow. FP had pulled back the curtain, and Betty could see Jughead's head resting perpendicular to the bed. The swelling in his eye had gone down considerably.

"Mr. Jones?" Betty said quietly, standing between the two beds. FP jumped and his head shot up.

"Oh. Betty. What time is it?" FP asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Almost 7 AM. Maybe you should go home, Mr. Jones... take a shower, possibly a nap?" Betty suggested.

"No, no," he said, brushing it off. "I'm fine."

"You don't need something to eat?" Betty asked caringly.

"Well I..." FP cut himself off. "Okay, yeah. I'm gonna go to the cafeteria and get some breakfast. D'you want anything?"

"No thanks."

"Alright... I'll see you later then," FP said. He clapped her on the shoulder lightly and left the room. Betty sat down next to Lily's bed and let out a sigh as she watched her daughter.

Lily was breathing slowly and deeply, and Betty noticed that she was also hooked up to a machine that was watching her heartbeat.

Lily's started to shiver when Betty realized that it was a bit cold. She picked up the blanket on the foot of the bed and draped it over Lily's arms and neck. She stopped shivering almost immediately. Betty sat back down and sighed again. She began to fall asleep on her hand...


	5. "Mom?" My Voice Cracked

_**-Lily's POV-** _

_All of my parents' friends were there. Archie, Veronica, Sweet Pea, Fangs, Cheryl, Toni, and my mom were standing around something... I glanced over Fangs' shoulder..._

My grave?!

_My mom knelt before the gravestone with my name on it, and touched the stone lightly as tears flowed from her eyes._

_My mom spoke... "... Come back, Lily... I love you, Lils..."_

My eyes shot open and all I saw were bright lights.

_Where am I?_ I thought. _The last I remember is going into the woods..._

When my eyes focused, I saw someone sitting in a chair, asleep. My head was tilted to the left, and I had something across my face. I had no idea where I was. There was a blanket over my shoulders that was on top of my arms and upper chest. Pain hit me like a brick all over my body. Down my legs, on my torso, through my left arm, and my left leg.

My eyes finally focused on the person in the chair. There was a woman asleep with a blonde ponytail.

"Mom?" my voice cracked.


	6. Awakenings and Consequences

**_-Back to 3rd Person POV-_ **

Betty jolted awake. Lily's pale green eyes were wide open. The semi-coarse voice coaxed her back awake. She jumped out of her chair, smiling wide and sped to Lily's side, kissing her forehead and doing her best to hug her.

"Lily!" Betty exclaimed, overjoyed at her daughter waking up.

"Mom," she said drowsily. "W-Where's dad?"

Betty pointed to the other side of the room. Lily turned her head to her right and saw Jughead laying there, still unconscious. Lily looked back at Betty.

"It was the Ghoulies, Mom. They got to him and--and they--"

"Lily, I know what they did to him," Betty said. "The doctors say he's going to be alright. Dealing with blood loss mostly."

"Wh-What happened to me?" Lily asked.

"Well," Betty began. "What the doctors know is that your left forearm is shattered, your left knee is destroyed, you've got cuts all the way down the backs of your legs, and you've been tased. If there's anything else..."

"M-My arm? My knee?!"

Betty looked down solemnly and sighed. She removed the blanket from her arms. Lily saw her arm wrapped and in a brace laying on her stomach. She tried to wiggle her fingers, but they didn't move. Betty carefully moved the sheets from under Lily's arms and pulled them down to expose her legs.

Lily's left knee was mangled. Betty saw the difference between the left and right knee. The left was disfigured, swollen, and bruised badly, as if someone stomped on it. The brace went all the way down Lily's leg; from her thigh to her ankle. Lily suddenly remembered.

Betty covered up Lily's legs again and had to excuse herself from the room after kissing Lily on the forehead once more.

Betty went into the hall with her hand clamped over her mouth, walking towards the waiting room. She was staring at the ground as she was walking quickly, tears beginning to creep out of her eyes. Betty arrived in the waiting room and immediately went to Veronica, embracing her and crying into her shoulder.

"B-Betty! Oh my God, are they awake?" Veronica stuttered.

"It's bad, Veronica! It's awful!"

"Which one? Jughead or —"

"Lily!" Betty sobbed. "She's awake, but her knee is mangled... and — and I don't know w-what to do!"

"Can we go and see her?" Cheryl asked from behind Veronica and Betty.

"I don't know..." Betty began.

"B, it's probably better if we go with you..." Veronica said. Betty paused.

"A-Alright," she said. She, Veronica, and Cheryl began down the hall, followed by Toni, Fangs, Sweetpea, and Archie. Sweetpea held the door open for them all, and closed it behind them. Betty had stopped crying by now and urged Veronica and Cheryl forward. A few of them were shocked to see the tube across her face.

"Hey, Girlie!" Veronica said to her. Lily smiled as she took the remote next to her bed and straightened her back so that she was sitting up almost all the way.

"Hey, V," she replied. "Well, geez, you're all here... Arch, TT, V, Bombshell, Sweets, Fangs..." Each smiled and waved in succession. Fangs interrupted.

"I don't have a nickname?"

"You don't need one, Fogarty," Lily said. "Your name's short enough." Fangs chuckled lightly before Lily continued. "Wait... where's grandpa?"

"FP?" Cheryl asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to thank him," she said.

"For what, Lils?" Toni asked.

"Well, he scared the Ghoulies away," Lily said. She paused, realizing she shouldn't have said anything about the Ghoulies. Her smile faded. "No, wait don't--"

"The Ghoulies?!" Sweetpea and Fangs exclaimed together.

"D-Don't go after them," Lily stammered.

"Why not?!" Sweetpea yelled. "They attacked you  _and_  Jughead!"

"Penny's back," Lily half-yelled. Almost the entire room went silent. "Dad called me and told me that he was sacrificing himself to her because Penny was threatening my life and Mom's life. I ran after him, and by the time I got there, there were four Ghoulies still beating him."

"W-What? Lily!" Betty yelled.

"I was trying to get him out of there before something worse happened."

"Lily, you were with us last night," Cheryl said. "You were at the White Wyrm with the Serpents... Why didn't you say something?"

"I had to get there as soon as I could. Grandpa watched me run out the door, but I left my phone in the Wyrm. Penny probably tried to call me, and he hopped on his motorcycle to come and find me," Lily said. Betty started pacing behind everyone else. "Do not go after the Ghoulies and Penny. You'll regret it. They outnumber us.

"The Ghoulies were going to go to war with the Serpents if we hadn't vacated the Southside. My dad made a deal with Penny, sacrificing his life for the rest of the Serpents. Our ranks would have depleted miserably."

"If it's a fight they want, it's a fight they'll get!" Sweetpea said, cracking his knuckles. Fangs nodded in agreement.

"No, Sweets! You will not go to war with the Ghoulies!" Lily said.

"It's what the majority would want," Fangs replied. "After their King and Heir Apparent..."

"You don't know what the majority of the Serpents say! You haven't asked them!" Lily yelled. Toni spun around to face Sweetpea.

"Jughead Jones is incapacitated, Lily is in command until Jug wakes up, Fangs," Toni said. "The majority decides to go to war, but the leader of the Serpents at that time has to initiate the vote, and the Serpents aren't here. Right now, Lily is our leader by blood."

"What does that mean to me?!" Sweet Pea said. "I wanna go crack some Ghoulie heads!"

"It means that Lily is in charge right now, numbnuts," Cheryl said defensively. "And you answer to her until Jughead wakes up." Lily looked from Betty to Cheryl, to Toni, to Sweet Pea and Fangs, then spoke.

"Unless you can get every Serpent into this room, there will be no vote," She said. "I can't go anywhere."

Sweet Pea stood up stiffer. "We'll do it here. 2 PM. I'll let the Serpents know." He turned around and walked out, followed by Fangs. Lily let out a deep sigh. Veronica started towards the door.

"I'm going to let Dr. Masters know that Lily is awake," She said, leaving and closing the door behind her.

"Is this really happening?" Lily asked as Archie sat down in the chair next to Jughead's bed.

"A Serpent-Ghoulie war," Toni began, "or the gang-leader-by-sixteen thing?"

"Yes," she replied.

"The Ghoulie War, maybe not. The sixteen-year-old gang leader though... I'm afraid so, Lils. Your dad did it and he was alright... You'll be great. Remember, it's only a few hours," Toni said. Betty glanced at the door as Dr. Masters came into the room, followed by Veronica.

"Good morning, can I ask you four--" Dr. Masters started, pointing to Toni, Cheryl, Veronica, and Archie, "to leave the room while I check up on Ms. Jones?"

"Sure," Archie said, getting up and walking out the door behind the other three.

"Hello, Lily, I'm Doctor Masters. I'll just be checking your vitals for now, and then we can discuss recovery options and the X-rays we took last night when you were admitted."

"Alright," Lily said. Dr. Masters began checking the machines she was hooked up to, then took the breathing tube off of her face and unhooked her from the machine recording her heartbeat. He stepped back and put the X-Rays of Lily's knee and arm on a board that lit up to see the pictures better. The bones in Lily's forearm were cleanly snapped, and her kneecap was in three pieces.

"As you can see from the X-Rays we took," Dr. Masters began, "Your kneecap is in a very precarious position. We're afraid that even the slightest amount of moving your leg would cause one of the pieces to move farther away from where it's supposed to be. One shard was disconnected when it broke off. We will have to take you into surgery and put pins in the bone, reattaching the shard, and a few other corrective measures. Now onto your forearm...

"We can see that the bones in your arm are snapped clearly. This is a break, and there are no shards of bone floating around your arm. This could end two ways. We could do surgery that would put pins in the bone, reconnecting and realigning them, or we could do a simple cast. The surgery is much more effective. We could do both at the same time, or separately, but sooner would be better in both cases. I will leave with that option to discuss. I will be back to check on Ms. Jones in an hour."

"Thank you, Dr. Masters," Betty said, shaking his hand.

"It's my pleasure," he said, exiting the room and closing the door behind him. Lily looked up at her mother.

"What do we do?" She asked.

"Technically, it's up to me to decide, but I'll go with whichever one you feel better about," Betty said.

"I want to do the surgery," Lily said.

"You're sure?" Betty asked.

"Yeah."

"That's what I was thinking as well," Betty added. Just then, the four that had left the room came back inside.

"Well?" Veronica asked.

"Lily's arm is cleanly snapped," Betty sighed, "and her kneecap is in three pieces. They're going to have to do surgery on both."

"When?" Archie asked.

"As soon as they can," Betty replied. "They don't want the bones drifting too far or moving around." Lily looked over at the chair close to her bed.

"Mom, what's that sticking out of your purse?" Lily asked. Betty walked over to her purse and pulled out Lily's grey beanie, handing it back to her. Lily reached to the back of her head and pulled out the rubber band holding back her dark, wavy hair. It fell down over her shoulders and Lily pulled the crown beanie over her head with one hand, flattening out some of her hair.

"Where'd you say grandpa was again?" Lily asked.

"Oh! I should call him!" Betty exclaimed. She picked up her phone and kissed Lily on the forehead before she ran out of the room. "I'll be right back!"

Lily looked directly at Veronica. "I have so many questions."

"Fire away, Girlie," Veronica said, pulling up Betty's chair. Cheryl, Toni, and Archie grabbed a seat too and formed around her hospital bed.

"How long was I unconscious?"

"That's a good one," Cheryl said. "When was it that Archie carried her out of the woods? 11 PM last night?"

"Yeah, that's about right," Archie agreed. "And it's currently..." Archie checked his watch. "9 AM. "

"Ten hours, just about," Toni said. "We've been here for two hours this morning."

"Sounds right," Veronica added. "But I think we still have a few questions. I'll start." Veronica paused and her cheerful mood turned strict.  _"What -- the -- hell -- Lily -- Elizabeth -- Jones?!"_

Lily jumped a little, startled by her godmother's tone.

"What specifically?" Lily asked.

"Let's start with you leaving the Wyrm," Toni said. She leaned over and whispered into Cheryl's ear,  _I've been waiting for this since she was shoved into the back of Betty's car_.

"I was at the Wyrm. My mom was at our house. I got a call around 10:30 last night. It was my dad, so I picked it up. He told me that he was sacrificing himself to Penny and the Ghoulies in exchange for the protection of me, my mom, and the rest of the Serpents. He told me everything about how he traded a Ghoulie rumble for this. I told him not to do it, but he only told me that if he didn't survive, the Serpents were mine. I told him not to hang up, not to go to Penny. He told me how much he loved me, that he'd already called my mom, he said goodbye, then hung up. I tried calling him back, but he didn't answer. I dropped my phone on the stairs and I ran." Tears began flowing out of Lily's eyes, but it didn't impair her ability to tell the story.

"I bolted out the front door of the Wyrm and started sprinting towards the Ghoulie base. I only knew where it was because my dad taught me the instructions to get there and back if I ever needed to. I know that I saw my grandfather watching me run out of the Wyrm and dropping my phone in the process. The only thing I can imagine that led him towards the Ghoulie base was Penny Peabody calling my phone to tell me about my dad, and trying to get me in on the violence too.

"When I got there, I saw my dad's grey crown beanie on the ground and ran into the trees. I met four Ghoulies in the forest still beating up my dad. By now, most of the damage to him had already been done. One of the Ghoulies ran at me, and I stabbed him in the leg. I don't know if he died or what. Another one came running at me. I tried to punch him, but he caught my fist, so I plunged my switchblade into his shoulder.

"Some of the details are a bit fuzzy, but I remember hearing a motorcycle turning off and my name called. I turned around, and two Ghoulies took me by the arms, turned me around, and the last one tased me. I remember falling to the ground, limp. I could see my dad unconscious and on the ground, too. They cut off his Serpent tattoo.

"One stomped on my left forearm... another on my knee... then they flipped me over... and cut me with my own switchblade... Twelve times on the backs of my legs... There are six on each leg, like they're horizontal striped-tights... I saw my grandfather running towards where my dad and I were on the ground, but then I fell unconscious, and I don't know what happened between then and when I woke up..."

Lily looked down at her arm in the brace and tried to wiggle her fingers again. It didn't work. She wiggled her right toes, then tried to with her left foot, but they wouldn't move under the blanket. She glanced up and saw that Veronica was in tears, Cheryl was holding Toni's hand, and Toni had her face buried in Cheryl's shoulder, silently crying. Lily looked at Archie. He had his head buried in his hands. Veronica got up and walked around to Lily's right side.

"You're the bravest of them all, Lily Jones," She whispered as she reached in for a hug. Lily gripped Veronica's back with her right arm and hand. Veronica stood up straight after a few seconds, and Lily saw that Cheryl and Toni were full-on hugging and crying with each other. Archie still had his head in his hands, and Veronica wiped a tear from her eye.

Betty and FP walked into the room, and their jaws dropped.

"What the hell did you do to them, kid?" FP asked Lily. "And how in God's name did you get Cheryl Blossom  _to cry_?!"

"She just told us," Archie began, looking up from his hands, "what happened in the woods last night... Before you found her..."

Betty looked at her daughter in amazement. "You're missing two crucial parts to this story," she said. 

"What happened over my end of the phone, and how FP knew where to go." Betty went around to Lily's right side and held her hand.


	7. Phone Calls and Gang Wars

Betty took in a sharp breath before she continued.

"Jughead called me, telling me how much he loved me. It was a little fishy, like he was about to do something bad. I asked him what was going on, but he wouldn't answer. All he said was "I'll see you soon," and then hung up. From there I tried to call FP. He wouldn't pick up the first few times. Then I called Lily.

"Imagine my surprise when FP picked up and told me that Lily already sped out of the Wyrm and dropped her phone on the way. I told him what Jughead told me, and said it sounded suspicious. He looked through Lily's phone and found a two-minute conversation with Jughead, right after Jughead hung up with me. FP called me back and told me to meet him down by the docks where there was a small fire pit, then hung up quickly.

"I drove down there with Veronica and Archie in tow. When I got there, a lot of the Serpents had come out there and were all standing around. FP ran out of the woods empty-handed, called for Archie, and they ran into the forest for five minutes, until I heard Archie yell for me to start my car. There he was carrying Lily, and FP was right behind him carrying Jughead. I couldn't move from the spot. Veronica had to take the keys from my hand and drive the car, and then we came here..." Betty paused and looked directly at Lily, choking up. "And I thought you both were going to die."

"Mom..." Lily muttered. Betty hugged Lily, and she hugged her back with her right arm. FP spoke up from the doorway.

"Geez, you and Toni are like Fangs when you talk about snakes in front of him," he said, then started mocking Fangs with a whining voice. "They don't have arms!" FP imitated and fake cried. Lily giggled. FP glanced at his granddaughter, smiling at him. "It's good to have you back, Lils."

"Glad to be back," She replied.

"Now, don't go running into the woods after my son again, or you're actually going to give me a heart attack. I'm getting too old for that bullshit," FP joked. This brought the whole room into laughter.

There was a knock on the door, and Dr. Masters walked in. FP moved out from the doorway to let him in.

"Good morning, all," He said politely. Dr. Masters looked at Betty and Lily. "Have you decided on a course of action?"

"Yes," Betty said. "We're going to do both surgeries."

"At the same time or in different sessions?" He asked.

"At the same time is preferable," she replied.

"I will get that scheduled. I made sure to leave you a spot for later today because you are one of our more urgent patients." Dr. Masters checked his clipboard. "We can prep and be ready by... 1:30 PM, and we'll get you out of here at 1:45 for surgery at 2 PM. How does that sound?"

Cheryl, Toni, Betty, and FP looked around at each other. Sweetpea had already let them know that they were going to vote on whether or not the Serpents were going to war with the Ghoulies at 2. Before any of them could respond, Lily spoke up.

"Doctor, could you possibly push the surgery back to 2:30 PM?"

Dr. Masters pulled out his clipboard again. "Hmm... No, I'm afraid not."

"Alright, I'll take the 2 PM surgery."

"I will get it put on the schedule, Ms. Jones. I'll be back at 1:45 PM to get you ready," Dr. Masters said, walking out and closing the door behind him. FP, Cheryl, Toni and Betty looked at Lily with shocked expressions.

" _LILY!_ " Toni yelled. "We have a vote at 2 PM!"

"Thank you, TT, I'm well aware of that... We'll have to move the vote," Lily stated. "Call Sweets and tell him we need to change the time. We could do noon..."

"I'll call him," Toni said. She walked out of the room. Lily turned to her mom.

"What are we going to do if the Serpents actually go to war and Dad and I aren't able to be there?" She asked.

"You leave someone in charge," Cheryl suggested. "Someone willing to lead them into battle. Jughead usually leaves FP or Sweetpea."

"Lils, if it comes down to that," FP began, "you should not leave Sweetpea in charge."

"Why not?" She asked.

"He's riled up about you and Jug. He's impulsive, out of control. The Serpents would go wild. In essence, he sees you as his niece and Jug as his brother. You're his goddaughter, for Christ's sake! The Serpents see you as their future leader, and Jug is their King. They protect you both at all costs and follow your lead by duty. Sweetpea is an explosion waiting to happen. I've been through this before. Hell, I'm their former king. I know how they roll."

"I was going to give it to you anyway if they decide to go to war. Sweets is enraged. Fangs is too. The rest of the Serpents are going to be wild... You've got my word, grandpa," Lily decided. Toni walked back into the room.

"Sweetpea prefers 1 PM, are you alright with that?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Lily replied. Toni got on the phone briefly, then hung up.


	8. "You Almost Made His Sacrifice Worth Nothing"

By 1 PM, most of the Serpents filtered into Lily and Jughead's hospital room. Betty had pulled the curtains around Jughead's bed, so that they wouldn't get distracted. Sweetpea and Fangs came back in by 12:30 and didn't speak too much. There were only about 200 Serpents, half of whom were in the reserves. Lily's room was filled to the brim with Serpents. Veronica and Archie decided to leave the room because they were more adjacent than active members.

"Alright! Listen up!" FP called to the room. They hushed down. "We gotta do this quick!"

"Thanks," Lily said. FP stepped back.

"As you all know," Lily began so that everyone could hear, "My dad and I were attacked by Penny Peabody and the Ghoulies last night. The proposal at hand is to go to war with the Ghoulies. Before you vote, you should know that the Ghoulies outnumber us. For all we know it could be 10 Ghoulies to each Serpent we have. My dad is indisposed and still unconscious, so I ask you for the sake of our livelihood, do not vote for war. We could be flattened. I assume Sweetpea and Fangs have already told you the pros of going to war..."

"Yeah, that's right," Fangs said. "And we move to vote."

"All those in favor of war with the Ghoulies?" Lily asks. Hands went up gradually with a clear majority. Almost every hand was raised except for Betty, Cheryl, Toni, and Lily. FP's hand was up too, to Lily's surprise, but she understood. "The Serpent-Ghoulie war will happen. Grandpa?"

"Yes?" FP answered.

"You're in charge of them," Lily said. Sweetpea began to get mad, but Fangs hushed him up. "Alright, you gotta get out of here before the doctors come in." Lily looked at the clock on the wall. It read 1:35 PM. The room cleared quickly. Sweetpea and Fangs stayed behind for a moment.

"You got what you wanted," Lily said to them both. "Ghoulie war. I assume you'll be going today?"

"We're doing this for you and for Jug," Fangs said.

"If you were going to do something for me, you would have not tried to go to war. We'll be slaughtered out there. I know that. My dad knows that... the reason we're even here is because he knew we would be slaughtered! You're going to make his sacrifice worth nothing!"

"Lily, you going into those woods almost made Jughead's sacrifice worth nothing!" Sweetpea said.

"Even if he'd died, we would be in this scenario! Everyone would want to go to war! He's not dead! I'm not dead! And I'm saying not to go through with it, but we've voted and I can't change  _jack shit_!" Lily yelled. Sweetpea and Fangs straightened up. "Good luck with Penny..." Lily said. "I don't want you in here when Dr. Masters comes in." Sweetpea and Fangs silently strode out of the room. Lily and Betty watched them go. 

Cheryl and Toni wished her luck and went out to lunch. Veronica and Archie wished her luck as well before going home. FP kissed her on the forehead and joined the rest of the Serpents.

"Gotta wrangle the snakes. I'll be back later, I hope."

"Bye, grandpa."

"See you later, Lils, Betty." FP walked out. Only Betty was left with Lily, and then Dr. Masters came in.

**-Jughead's (Unconscious) POV-**

_I could tell that I wasn't where I was supposed to be. I couldn't feel anything. There was no pain. My eyes did not open, nor did I expect them to at this moment. I was content as I was for now, my memories flashing through my head._

_"She's so adorable, Betty," I watched myself say not long after Lily's birth. I gasped as the darling girl in my arms opened her eyes, revealing the emerald of Betty's eyes in the baby's own. I began to tear up and cry._

_"Juggie," Betty said, reaching out to my arm. "What's wrong?"_

_"She's got your eyes," I sobbed._

_"Well she's definitely got your hair," Betty replied. "Look how dark and thick and all over the place it is!"_

_We both sat there chuckling for a little bit._

_"Jug, we need to name her eventually. Does our deal still apply?" She asked._

_"You choose the first name if I choose the middle..." I muttered. Betty nodded. We sat in the silence for a moment._

_"Well, she's got your eyes," I said. "Her middle name should be Elizabeth."_

_"Jug..." She replied. "That's so sweet..."_

_"Well you made an adorable baby that happens to have your eyes."_

_I watched Betty as she was still racking her brain for a first name, but how do you properly name something so perfect? She looked over at the vase of flowers I'd brought her. Lilies. Her favorite._

_"Lily..." She mumbled._

_"Come again?" I asked._

_"Lily," she said a bit louder, turning to me. "That's her first name. Lily Elizabeth Jones. It's perfect."_

_"It sure is," I replied, holding Lily closer to me and looking down at her. Something in me told me that she was going to be the death of me. I loved her too much already._


	9. "I Won't Need It Where I'm Going"

"Good afternoon," Dr. Masters said. "We need to carefully transfer Ms. Jones onto a gurney so that we can wheel her down to the operating room. Mrs. Jones, it's time to say goodbye."

Betty turned to her daughter. "I'll see you in a little bit, Lils," she said and kissed her on the forehead. Lily took off her grey beanie and handed it to her mother.

"Hold onto this for me. I won't need it where I'm going," she said. Betty nodded silently. A few doctors came into the room and picked Lily up by her feet and from under her arms and carefully placed her on the gurney. Lily waved to her mother as they wheeled her out, and watched Betty walk over to where Jughead was laying, sitting next to him in the chair.

**-Lily's POV-**

They wheeled me down the hall, about three doctors or nurses on each side of the gurney. They were talking to each other, discussing what, in medical terminology, they needed to do. Frankly, I had no idea what the hell they were talking about.

The double doors were pushed open by the foot of the rolling bed. It came side by side with the operating table. The room was dark with a blueish aura. Four doctors lifted me off the gurney onto the table. Someone immediately hooked me up so that my heartbeat was on a monitor and there was a mask pumping oxygen that surrounded my nose and mouth. The next thing I remembered was Dr. Masters with a medical mask over his face saying...

"It's like taking a nap..." and then there was a needle in my arm...

My eyelids got heavier... and heavier... and I drifted... down, down, down... like I was falling asleep into the darkness...

**-FP's POV-**

When I got to the White Wyrm, all of the Serpents, some I hadn't seen for years, were running around grabbing weapons. Sweetpea and Fangs were pulling weapons out of storage. Extra knives, clubs, baseball bats, golf clubs, brass knuckles, among other items. I checked my watch. 2:30 PM.

"LISTEN UP!" I yelled over all of them. Every Serpent froze. A few dropped their weapons and they clattered on the wooden floor of the Wyrm. "Be ready by 3:30 so we can get to Ghoulie headquarters by 4! You've got an hour. Go!"

Business continued as usual and everyone kept getting weapons together. I made sure everyone had on their leather jackets and bulletproof vests before they left the bar.

I went into Jug's office, where I kept some of my extra Serpent items in case of one of these types of scenarios. I pulled out a pair of golden brass knuckles, a pair of finger-less leather gloves, and a baseball bat with nails in it. I knew that there were many Serpents downstairs driving nails into bats as well, but I thought it best to keep one prepared.

I bent down to pick up a pencil that fell off of Jughead's desk, and then I saw something more precious than gold. On the floor behind his office chair was his Serpent jacket.

Only Lily, Jughead, and I had Serpent Jackets with the old emblem on it: a green snake in the shape of an S, and only his had a diagonal zipper on each shoulder. It was black, and worn well. For Lily's jacket, Jughead had taken the old patch off one of the old jackets and had it fitted onto a pale yellow leather jacket.

There were only three colored leather jackets in the Serpent ranks. Cheryl Blossom's was a bold red. Betty Cooper's (now, Jones) was pale pink, and Lily Jones' jacket was pastel yellow, by her request.

What I didn't notice was that Lily's jacket was sitting right in front of me.

It was sitting in Jughead's chair. The leather was still new, being broken in. I grabbed both jackets, slung them over my arm, and busted through the door. I ran down the stairs, telling Fangs and Sweetpea not to go anywhere. I hopped on my motorcycle and sped down the road to the hospital.

When I got there, I jumped off of the bike and ran inside to Jughead and Lily's shared room. The only person in there was Betty. She had tears coming down her face and Lily's bed was empty.

"FP?" She asked and stood up. I walked towards her.

"I thought you might want these for when they wake up..." I said, holding out the leather jackets. She took them and hugged me.

"Thanks," She mumbled.

"No problem."

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for the rumble?" She asked, stepping out of the embrace and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I've still got a little time." I glanced at my watch: 3:15 PM. "I gotta get back to the Wyrm, I'll see you later!" I ran out of the hospital and hopped back onto my bike, speeding off towards the bar.

When I arrived, Serpents were beginning to congregate outside for the march to Ghoulie headquarters. I ran upstairs and grabbed my stuff, putting on a bulletproof vest as I bolted down the stairs. I had brass knuckles on each of my hands, and my baseball bat too.

"Alright!" I growled to the Serpents. "Let's go bash some Ghoulie skulls!" We started off towards their base with loud cheers.

It was time to avenge my son and granddaughter.


	10. "I Thought That I Was Dead"

**-Jughead's Unconscious POV-**

_I could still tell that I wasn't in reality. The next memory of mine that came up was another happy one._

_I was laying on the couch with a six month-old Lily sitting on top of my chest, giggling. I smiled, picked her up and held her to my chest as I sat up and held her on my arm. Lily began to climb up my shoulder. Her small hand reached up and tugged at my crown beanie. I chuckled and watched her focused face, trying to pull it off. I used my other hand to lift the beanie off of my messy, dark hair._

_Lily was able to pull it to her now and she held it in her little hands, gazing at it in awe. She tried to say something, but it was just babbling. She giggled and looked up at me. I smiled, and she smiled back. I took my free hand and grabbed the beanie, putting it on her little head. It was way too big for her and covered her whole face._

_I laughed and pushed back the front so that it revealed her giggling face and emerald green eyes. I smiled at my little girl and took my beanie back, resting it on my leg. Lily gurgled something else, yawned, and rested her head on my shoulder, cuddling up to me. I took my other hand, securing her to my chest._

_From the corner of my eye I saw someone leaning against the opening to the kitchen. Standing there was my wife, Betty._

_"Well if it isn't my two favorite people," she said, smirking. I grinned at her and stroked Lily's little back with my thumb._

_"How much of that did you see?" I asked._

_"You and Lily are too adorable for me not to spy on you," Betty replied, then paused. I raised my eyebrows. "Okay... All of it." She laughed and I chuckled to myself._

_This was how I wished it could stay forever._

_I knew that I'd run into those woods to protect them. Penny would have killed them, but I figured that as long as Lily and Betty were alive, I would be fine. They're the two people that I would sacrifice anything for. And I thought I did. I thought I was dead._


	11. "... But You'd Go Even Farther For Each Other"

**-Betty's POV-**

I'd been sitting in that hospital room since they took Lily away for surgery. I pulled back the curtains around Jughead's bed, and sat in the chair next to him. I watched him, just hoping for a movement, just something to happen. FP came in earlier and gave me Jughead and Lily's Serpent jackets. That was something. But then he left for the rumble. A nurse came to check on Jughead every now and then, collected data from the machines he was hooked to, and left. Only when Dr. Masters came into the room, I'd realized how long I'd been sitting there.

He opened the door and I stood up.

"Mrs. Jones, the operation was a success." I let out a huge sigh of relief and smiled. "We should have Lily back in this room by 6:15."

"Why so late?" I asked.

"Mrs. Jones, that's fifteen minutes from now," he said. My face flushed with embarrassment. "I understand. It's easy to lose track of time in your situation. I'll be back with the doctors to bring Lily back in."

"Thank you, Dr. Masters," I said.

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Jones. She should be awake by 9:00 this evening. We found it too risky to use the reversal of the anesthetic on her," Dr. Masters said as he exited the room.

I sat down with another sigh of relief and looked at Jughead. Nothing. Soon enough, Dr. Masters and a few others came in with Lily on a gurney, hooked to an oxygen machine and heartbeat monitor. Her left arm and leg were heavily bandaged up with the strong black braces up her arm and leg. The doctors quickly picked her up, moved her into the bed, and transferred her oxygen and heartbeat to the machines in the room, taking away the ones that came in with her.

Within minutes, Lily was back laying in the hospital bed with a tube around her face pumping oxygen. Her dark, fluffy hair was almost covering her face, but pinned back slightly. The nurse tucked her in and laid an extra blanket over her shoulders and arms, then left the room silently.

I got up from the chair by Jughead and draped Lily's yellow Serpent jacket over the foot of her bed, then took out her beanie and slid it onto her head, flattening her unruly hair slightly. I took Jug's jacket and put it over the foot of his bed too. Lily didn't wake up, to my dismay.

. I went to sit down again, and FP came in. His face was cut up in a few spots and he pocketed his finger-less leather gloves as he entered the room. He pushed back his graying hair, just like Jughead and Lily did. His dark hair ran softly through his fingers and sighed deeply.

"FP! What happened?" I asked.

"Lily was right," FP sighed. "It was like shooting snakes in a barrel. There were too many Ghoulies." He sat down in the chair next to Jughead. "And you should let her know not to go all 'I told you so' to Sweetpea and Fangs. They're distraught."

"She told everyone the risks," I said. "Said they outnumbered us 10 to 1."

"We wanted to avenge Jughead and Lily..." FP grumbled. "When not just one, but two prominent Serpents almost get killed, it riles them up. Especially because most of them watched Lily grow up. One third of them saw her first steps in the Wyrm. For the last sixteen years of her life, Lily was bred into the Serpent lifestyle. Everyone knows her name, her face. She's got an advanced protection system that Jughead manages. Lily doesn't even know about it... Judging from the look on your face, you didn't know either."

I realized that my mouth was hanging open in surprise. I quickly shut it and looked away.

"I just... didn't realize how far Jug would go for her," I muttered, looking at Lily. I turned back to FP.

"You two would go the farthest for her," FP said. "But you'd go even farther for each other." FP stopped for a moment. "What you two have... no one could explain it. Who would have thought that the dark loner and the bright girl-next-door would ever make a match?"

"He doesn't put protection around me, does he?" I asked.

"If he did, I wouldn't be at liberty to say. He wouldn't let you know about it," FP muttered. "But if he didn't, he'd be a damned fool. That's about the most I can say. It's for your own protection that he has his secret business."

"Oh," I sighed.

I fell asleep in the chair for an hour. I woke up around 7:15 and FP was still awake.

"Maybe you should go home, Betty," he said. "I'll call you if anything happens."

"Alright," I replied. I got up and waved at FP as I left the room. I got to my car and got in. I was hungry so I stopped at Pop's, where I found Veronica and Archie sitting in a booth together. They invited me over.

We sat and talked. They were more concerned with how I was doing, along with Lily and Jughead. I told them about Lily's surgery, how Jughead hadn't woken up, and that the Serpents went to war with the Ghoulies and lost. Once I'd finished my food, I said goodbye and got back in my car, heading home.


	12. "She Couldn't Hear Me"

**-Jughead's Unconscious POV-**

_My memories had become sporadic. They were flashing back and forth, some replaying. Then it stopped on one that I didn't recognize. I was by the Ghoulie fire pit, and I watched as a girl of 16 ran into the clearing, bearing down on her knees for a moment, panting._

_I recognized her when she looked up. Her emerald green eyes reflected the glowing fire. Her dark, unruly and wavy hair sat under a crown beanie like my own._

_"Lily..." I said. She didn't hear me. She yelled something that I couldn't quite hear, then ran into the forest. I followed behind her, trying to get her out of there._

_"LILY! STOP!" I yelled. She didn't hear me. I got close to her and tried to pull her back by the collar of her t-shirt. I couldn't grab anything. Lily shouted something at the crowd of Ghoulies surrounding a body that I saw as my own. I knew where she was now._

_"NO! LILY!" I screamed. She still didn't hear me and pulled out her switchblade. I heard it click. One of the Ghoulies turned around. His face was painted black and white. He had black curly hair and a crazy look on his face. Lily and the man ran at each other. She was able to fight him off, stabbing him in the leg and leaving him to bleed._

_Maybe she doesn't get hurt by them, I tried to assure myself. I watched her run at the group and another Ghoulie turned around. Lily tried to punch him, but he caught her hand. Lily stabbed him in the shoulder. He stumbled back._

_Lily heard something. It was muffled. She turned around._

_"LILY, NO!" She couldn't hear me. Two Ghoulies grabbed her by the arms and turned her around. The third tased her. I started to panic. Lily screamed. Tears clouded my vision. She crumpled to the ground, spread like a starfish._

_"GET OFF OF HER, YOU ANIMALS!" I yelled. I tried to go forward and pull them off of her, but I was frozen to the spot. One of the Ghoulies stomped on her left forearm._

_Lily yelped and began to cry._

_He slammed his foot down on her left knee._

_She screamed again._

_I had fallen to my knees, unable to move, but unable to look away. All that I could do was watch._

_Another Ghoulie flipped her over and began to cut Lily on the backs of her legs. She was crying for help, but her tears began to muffle it. I couldn't keep count of how many times they cut her, I just knew that her cries were getting quieter and quieter._

She must be dying, _I thought._

_Suddenly, the three Ghoulies stood up straight and looked in my direction._

_"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS YOU--" I began._

_I was distracted by someone walking through me._

_"Wh-What?" I mumbled. I saw my dad standing in the moonlight. The Ghoulies scampered away, leaving the beaten bodies of Lily and I. My dad approached Lily and looked at her, then stood over my body. He broke down in the woods for a moment before turning around and running out of the woods. I chased after him._

_In the clearing were all of my friends. Betty, Veronica, and Archie pushed through the crowd._

Betty, _I thought._

_I ran over to her and tried to kiss her, pick her up, hug her, hold her... but I realized something..._

This was real life I was seeing. This actually happened. Lily could be dead, and it could be my fault, and I don't even know what's happening with Betty....

_I began to hyperventilate. I fell to my knees. Things became blurry as my dad took Archie into the woods, later appearing with both of our bodies, putting them in Betty's car, and driving off._

_My vision became blurry as I crumpled up into a ball, just crying... until a light figure walked towards me, hugging me. I knew this embrace anywhere._

_"B-Betty?" I asked. She pulled away and held onto my shoulders. Betty was glowing, and she had this aura around her._

_"Jughead..." She said delicately._

_"Where's Lily, what happened?!" I tried to ask. She stopped me._

_"You can't do anything from here, Jughead."_

_"What are you asking me to do, Betty?"_

_"We need you, Jughead," her voice echoed. "Wake up." The sound of her voice came louder than it had before._

_"I thought I was dead..." I said. Everything became fuzzy, and her words trailed away as she spoke again._

_"You're not dead..." Betty said. "We need you, Jughead... We still need you..."_

_"We?" I tried to ask, but I was unanswered._

_I was slipping down... down... down... And everything was dark. But I knew where I was now and what I could control. I found the strength to slowly open my eyes._


	13. The Fateful Phone Call

**-Betty's POV-**

The house was quiet, which was unusual, and it was early. I checked my phone.  _7:45 PM_ , it read. I was extremely tired, so I took a shower, changed, and got in the bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. At first, it was odd, not having anyone there. It was 8:05 before I actually got into the bed. I slept for what felt like a second until my phone began buzzing.

I checked my alarm clock:  _8:32 PM_. I looked at my phone, still buzzing, then it stopped.

_Three missed calls - FP Jones._

" _Shit!_ " I whispered. FP called again, and I picked up instantly.

"FP! I-I'm sorry, I was asleep. What is it? Jug? Lily?"

"Jughead's awake, I'll see you soon." FP hung up. I got out of bed and slipped on a pair of skinny jeans, a pink sweater, put my hair up quickly, then pulled on a pair of converse. I ran out of the house, grabbing my phone, purse, and car keys as fast as I could. I cranked the car and zoomed towards the hospital.


	14. "Where Should I Start?"

**-FP's POV-**

"Jughead's awake, I'll see you soon." I hung up on her and slipped my phone into my jacket pocket. I, too, had been asleep. Jughead's hoarse voice was what jolted me awake. The nurse was currently taking Jughead off of the heartbeat monitor and the oxygen tube. Once she was finished, Jughead sat the hospital bed up. 

The swelling in his eye had gone down completely, and there were still a few cuts on his face; only one of them had gauze still taped on. Jughead watched as the nurse left the room. The curtain between the unconscious Lily and him was still up from the vote earlier, and Jughead was oblivious to the fact that his daughter was hospitalized and on the other side of it.

"I've got questions," he said quietly.

"You sound like Lily," I responded, sitting back in my chair. "Fire away."

"I sacrificed myself to the Ghoulies. Why am I alive?"

"Where should I start?" I asked. Jughead shrugged. He hadn't really been at the Wyrm the previous night and didn't know anything about who was there and what happened.

"I think I know," I added. "And I've gotta be honest, if it wasn't for your hard-headed daughter, you would have bled out in the woods on Ghoulie territory. Neither she nor I were down for that. You calling Betty and then Lily is the reason you're alive, boy."

"Did she tell you about the call?... or the Ghoulies? Or Penny?"

"That kid's so hard-headed she ran after you without a word to anyone."

"WHAT?!" Jughead screamed. "IS--IS SHE DEAD?!"

"She's not dead, kid," I said and got up, pulling back the light blue curtain. "But they got her good, possibly worse than you..." Lily's head had drifted to the right, so that her closed eyes were facing Jughead. He stared wide-eyed at his daughter laying there. I went and sat down in my chair again, sighing. He turned back to me.

" _WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!_ " His voice cracked, tears welling in his eyes.

"Calm down and I'll tell you," I said sternly. Jughead closed his mouth. "You called Betty, and then you called Lily. Well, Lily bolted out of the Wyrm and dropped her phone on the way out, then sprinted to the docks, saw your beanie on the ground," I tossed Jughead's beanie on the foot of his bed and continued, "And she ran into the woods looking for you." Jughead turned his head towards Lily, still laying there, motionless.

"When she encountered the last four Ghoulies beating you bloody, she stabbed two of them. Hell, she might've killed one. She isn't quite so sure. She stabbed another, but got tased by the other two. She went limp on the ground about three feet from you. They stomped on her forearm, snapping it cleanly in half, and on her knee cap, making it split into three pieces. They took her switchblade, turned her over, and cut the backs of her legs twelve times."

" _Twelve?!_ " He interjected. He mumbled something under his breath that sounded like,  _So it_ was _real_.

"Yes, twelve. Luckily, I was right behind her," I said. "While all of that was happening, Betty called me three times, but my phone was dead. Then she called Lily, who's phone I had just picked up. I answered. Your wife was calling to see if we knew where you were. Of course we didn't. She was really concerned that you were going to die. I checked Lily's phone and saw that you'd called her right after Betty. Then I knew where you and Lily had gone.

"So I took off on my motorcycle, followed by half of the Serpents. Cheryl, Toni, Sweetpea, Fangs... I was the first one there, saw your beanie on the ground and picked it up, then went into the trees. The three Ghoulies ran off. They knew who I was, who I used to be.

"I saw you and Lily sprawled on the ground, then ran back out. Betty pulled up with Archie and Veronica in tow. I got Archie to come into the woods with me. He took Lily, I took you, put you in the back of Betty's car and we drove here. You were almost dead by the time we got in the car. You're damn lucky you've got a daughter with a thick skull.

"That girl was so adamant that you weren't going to die by the Ghoulies that she faced them herself." Jughead faced back towards me.

"Dad, what happened to your face?"

"Old age," I replied sarcastically. "No... a rumble with the Ghoulies."

" _WHAT?!_ " He yelled."I sacrificed  _myself_  so that the Serpents wouldn't go to war with them!"

"Oh we know, Jughead. Lily told us all about that."

"Lily--"

"Let me finish about the rumble before I tell you more about her," I said. "We voted at one o'clock this afternoon with Lily presiding in your place. She told them not to do it, that she knew the Ghoulies outnumbered us probably 10-1 and that Penny was back. In the end, the Serpents were just too riled up about you... and after Lily, too? After they'd known her since she was a baby? Each Serpent is like another parent to her. War was inevitable..."

"Geez, Lils sounds like me... _And_? How'd it go?" Jughead asked.

"You would've been proud of them, boy. You should've seen 'em... True Serpents until the end... But at the end of it all, it was like shooting snakes in a barrel. 30 died, the rest are injured in one way, shape or form. Sweetpea's got a black eye, Fangs got cut a few times... it only gets worse from there... We lost, kid." Jughead's head hung low for a moment. He wanted to get his mind off of the annihilated Serpents, so he asked another question.

"Why's Lily still unconscious?"

"She had to have surgery on her arm and knee... a forearm snapped clean in half and a kneecap in three pieces doesn't help anyone. They had to reconnect the bones... Should be awake soon, though. The doctors weren't comfortable administering the reversal of the anesthetic in the condition that she was in."

"She was awake earlier?" Jughead asked.

"Oh, yeah. Definitely. Lily came back to us by 9:30 this morning," I began. "Told us everything. Made Cheryl and Archie  _cry_. Then Sweetpea and Fangs wanted to go to war after Lily let slip that it was the Ghoulies and Penny. She was great. Organized a Serpent vote right in this room. It seemed that only she, Betty, Cheryl, and Toni understood the risks of war with the Ghoulies and voted against it. Everyone else was too angry about you two, especially because they could see Lily's injuries as she was sitting there, conducting it all, then turned around and went into surgery for four hours, mending her bones."

The door swung open, and a blur of pink and blonde came running inside. 

"Juggie! Oh my God!" Betty squealed. She ran around to the right side of his bed and grabbed his face, kissing all over. Jughead started chuckling and kissing back. I got up and started walking to the door.

"I'll give you two some privacy..." But neither of them heard me as I closed the door behind me.


	15. "But You're Also Still Alive Because of Her"

After their excitement had worn off, Betty laid cuddled up next to Jughead. He stroked her arm that was embracing him tightly, never wanting her to let go.

"I'm sorry," Jughead said finally. "I should have told you where I was going." Betty sat up.

"Don't apologize, Jug," Betty replied. "I'm just happy you're here with me..." She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead.

"I have a lot to apologize for," he continued. "Lily is in the hospital because of me."

"But you're also still alive because of her," Betty said, putting a hand on his face. "You would have bled out, had she not tried to find you and dropped her phone in the Wyrm. You were trying to spare the Serpents from the Ghoulies. The Serpents only got riled up because of you... then Lily sitting there hurt... and advocating for them not to go to war on your behalf... They couldn't bear it and had the rumble... I assume your dad told you all of that..."

"Everything except... How long has it been?" He asked.

"It was last night... around 11 or 12 when Archie and FP pulled both of you out of the Ghoulie Woods. It's about 8:55 PM now..."

"Thanks..." Jughead said. "For calling my dad, well Lily..."

"Jug, I was scared to death! You could've been anywhere..."

"I know... and I'm sorry about that too..." he replied. "Come here..." Betty kissed him twice on the cheek, then tilted his chin so that she pecked him on the lips. She settled back down on his shoulder, her arms around him. She closed her eyes and was drifting into sleep when she heard something familiar.

**-Lily's POV-**

I woke up once again, but the lights were dimmed since I'd gone into surgery. I opened my eyes and saw what looked like a window. It was definitely nighttime. My head was turned to the right... and I could've sworn that the bed next to mine was sitting up, and there were two fuzzy figures.

I blinked a few times, then saw them.

"M-Mom? Dad?" I whispered groggily. My mom's eyes flashed open and my dad's head bolted towards me.

" _Lily?!_ " They asked at the same time, stunned.


	16. Reunions and Michael

Lily nodded slowly, her eyelids fluttering halfway. She wasn't fully awake yet, but trying to keep her eyelids open. Betty kissed Jughead on the cheek, then got out of his bed and ran over to Lily, kissing her on the forehead. She then jogged to the door and poked her head out of it. FP was sitting there.

"Betty?" He asked, standing up.

"Go get Dr. Masters. Lily's awake." FP nodded and ran down the hall. Betty went back inside the room where she saw Jughead trying to get out of bed, but he was stiff and couldn't quite move his legs over the side. Betty walked over to him and slid his legs off of the bed. They were cut and bruised, but she didn't flinch. Betty helped push his feet to the floor and stand up. Jughead put his right arm around her shoulders as he hobbled forward to Lily.

Once Jughead was standing over her, Betty pulled the blanket off of Lily's shoulders, exposing her good and bad arms. Jughead gasped at first, but started to lean down to Lily's level. Betty helped him down, and Lily held onto him with her right arm.

"I love you, Lily," Jughead said.

"I love you too, dad," Lily added groggily.

After a few moments, Betty helped Jughead back up and got him back in the hospital bed right before Dr. Masters came in with a nurse and FP trailing. They checked Lily's vitals, and took her off of the oxygen tube and heartbeat monitor.

Ten minutes later, Betty was back in bed with Jughead and FP was seated in the same chair he was in before. FP finished telling Lily about the rumble with the Ghoulies and he'd just given Lily her phone back after she'd asked for it. She'd only had it for twenty seconds when she saw about 100 texts from her boyfriend asking if she was alright, if she was ignoring him, and where she was.

"Mom, did you not call Michael? Or Kevin, or Joaquin at least?!"

"The Kellers?" FP asked.

"Lils, I'm so sorry..." Betty replied. "With the rush of everything that was going on last night and today..."

Lily went into her phone and called Michael Keller. The phone only rang for two seconds when Michael answered.

"LILY! THANK GOD!" He said through the phone.

"Michael--I'm so sorry! I-I don't know where to even begin!" Lily stuttered.

"Where the hell are you, Lils? My dad and I went by your house, but no one was there. I was just about to call you when--"

"Michael, I'm at the hospital."

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Lily had to pull the phone away from her ear for a moment.

"I know, I know... Just get here and I'll tell you everything." Lily heard Michael pull away from the phone for a second, telling his dad where she was. He came back and said, "We'll be there soon, are you alright? How long have you been there?"

"I'm alright now, but I've been here since last night."

"LAST NIGHT? LILY!"

"I would've called but I didn't have my phone... and, well, I was unconscious..."

"LILY!"

"I'll tell you all of it once you get here. Just hurry... not enough to end up here yourselves of course..."

"Alright, I'll see you in a little bit. Bye."

"Bye." Lily ended the call and set the phone in her lap. "I cannot believe you didn't call him, mom! I would've thought you would've called Kevin! He's your friend!"

"Kevin wasn't with us last night... Anyone that wasn't there just slipped my mind..."

"Wait..." FP started. "Is Michael Keller your boyfriend?"

"Yes..." Lily said, blushing.

"Jug, you approve?" FP asked.

"I'm the leader of a gang. If I didn't approve or if he did something to hurt Lily, he'd be dead."

"Jug, you wouldn't kill a kid."

"I know," he replied. "The Serpents would do it themselves. With Sweetpea, Cheryl, Toni, and Fangs being the closest thing to aunts and uncles... I wouldn't even have to ask. They'd organize it themselves and get away with it too."

Lily spoke up. "He understands the risks of being with me and hurting me. I made sure he knew before he asked me to be his girlfriend." She paused. "Those four, however, wanted to attend the dinner where Mom and Dad had Michael over so that they could scare him into never hurting me..."

Just then, Michael Keller burst through the door. He was a 6'3", ripped teenager with pale skin and clean-cut brown hair. He was insanely handsome and had on his Riverdale High letterman jacket. He was one of the best on Varsity Football.

"Lily!" He said. Kevin came in behind his adopted son, almost out of breath.

"He almost crashed the car on the way here!" He exclaimed. Betty and Jughead chuckled. Michael ran around to Lily's right side and grabbed her face, kissing her immediately, then holding her tightly.

"Michael,  you're here!" Lily said, relieved.

"Good God, Lily, what happened?" He asked, seeing the outline of the brace under the sheets and the brace on her left arm. Lily told him everything, from the call, up to the rumble and the surgery.

"Lily, you're lucky," Michael said after she'd finished.

"No," she stated. "My dad is lucky that I'd gone. He wouldn't be here if I hadn't gone after him."

"You're both lucky, then," he said. "And I'm lucky to have the best girlfriend in the world." Michael kissed Lily's forehead, down to her cheek, and then a few on her neck. Lily giggled and pulled his face close, kissing him on the lips a few times and playing with his brown hair. She pulled back, and moved over on the bed. Lily grabbed the remote to the bed and leaned the back down, both laughing. Michael climbed up and lay next to her.

They both snuggled up in the bed, Lily's head under Michael's chin and the side of her face resting on his chest. Lily was exhausted and fell asleep first. Michael watched her sleep and gently caressed her right arm until he fell asleep too. Michael's dad, Kevin, did them a favor and pulled the curtain between them and Jughead and Betty, then left the room.

FP mouthed at Jughead, asking if he should leave. Jughead nodded, and FP silently rose and left the room. Jughead reached over and grabbed the remote for the bed, reclining it a bit. Betty woke up and giggled when Jughead did this.

"Shh..." Jughead whispered. "Don't wake up Mily..."

"What, is that their ship name?" Betty asked quietly.

"Better than Bughead," he chuckled softly. "I ship it, don't you?"

"Of course," Betty laid her head on Jughead's chest again and fell asleep on him. Jughead stayed awake for a few minutes, stroking Betty's back and arm. He grabbed the blanket from the chair next to him and covered Betty with it, then fell asleep himself.


	17. Going Home

The four remaining in the room were awoken the next morning by FP, who'd warned them that everyone came back this morning, hearing that both Jughead and Lily were awake. Michael decided that it was the best if he got out of the bed with Lily before the Serpents came in because "They'd strangle me, Lily, you know that." Betty didn't really get out of Jughead's bed, but sat up next to him, putting her arm around his shoulders.

Before the Serpents even came into the room, however, FP let Alice Cooper in.

"Mom?" Betty asked.

"FP called me," she replied. "And told me about Jughead and Lily.  _Elizabeth Jones,_ _I cannot believe that you didn't call me!_ "

"I'm sorry, everything has just been really stressful, mom."

"I'm glad FP called me once he realized that I hadn't been by to see either of you." Alice looked at Lily, then at Jughead. "I'm glad that you are both alright and safe."

"Wait, I just noticed something," Jughead said. "Lily broke bones only on her left side... Was no one going to say that she's  _all-right_? Like, literally? Has no one made that joke yet?"

"Jug!" Betty yelled.

"Dad..." Lily groaned, bringing the palm of her right had up to her forehead and shaking her head. Alice simply rolled her eyes.

"Fangs did yesterday, but Cheryl slapped him," FP added.

"I-I think it was funny, Mr. Jones," Michael stuttered, which prompted a glare from Lily and a proud gaze from Jughead. " _What?_ " He asked his girlfriend. "it was good." Lily smiled at him and giggled, then Michael reached down and kissed her on the cheek after straightening her crown beanie.

"FP, you can let everyone else in," Alice said. FP started walking to the door. "I'll talk to you later, Elizabeth."

"Bye, mom," Betty replied. FP opened the door, and Alice walked out, past the rest of Jughead and Betty's friends.

Cheryl came in first, followed by Toni, Fangs, Sweetpea, Veronica, Archie, and Kevin.

"Hey, Jug!" Sweetpea and Fangs said together. Sweetpea had a black eye, and Fangs had a cut on his face.

"Sweets! Fangs! Oh my god!" Lily exclaimed.

"We're fine, Lils," Fangs assured her. "We've dealt with worse."

"Good to see you, Jones," Toni said to Jughead.

"Toni, Cheryl, Sweetpea, Fangs, Veronica... Good to see you, Arch," said Jughead.

"It's good seeing you awake, Jug," Archie chuckled. Just then, Dr. Masters came in.

"Mr. Jones, Ms. Jones, you are ready to be discharges from this hospital as soon as you are ready. Ms. Jones, after your surgeries, you should be on bed rest for two weeks, and we'll need you to come back so we can check how you are doing after those two weeks are up. Any decision about your bed rest and status will be made then."

"Thank you, Dr. Masters," said Betty.

"If there are any concerns, feel free to call, Mrs. Jones." Dr. Masters turned around and walked out.

Michael looked down at Lily and smiled. He was about to reach down and hug her when he heard a click behind him. Michael stopped midway and turned around. He saw Sweetpea and Fangs standing behind him. Sweetpea cracked his knuckles, and Fangs had his switchblade out. Michael stood up straight and looked wide-eyed at the two Serpents. Cheryl and Toni walked up behind them.

" _Oh my god!_ " Lily spoke up. "Dad! Tell them to chill!"

"Back away from the football hunk," Jughead said. The Serpents looked at him. "Michael's cool." The four Serpents shuffled away from Michael, and he reached down and hugged Lily. When he stood back up, Lily held onto his hand.

"Well, we should get you out of here, Jones," said Sweetpea.

"Oh no! I didn't bring a change of clothes for you or Lily!" Betty said to Jughead.

"Don't worry about that, Betty," Veronica said, holding up a plastic bag. "Archie and I went by this morning and got you both some clothes."

The room cleared, and the curtains between Jughead and Lily were pulled closed. Betty quickly helped Jughead into the dark jeans and S T-shirt that Veronica brought. Betty was a little concerned once she saw Jughead's bare chest because of the gauze around his right shoulder. He sensed it.

"Betts, it's alright..." Jughead assured her. "Come here." He pulled her close and kissed her on the lips after putting on the T-shirt and picking up his Serpent jacket from the foot of his bed. "I'm alright. Really. Go help Lily, she needs it more than me." He kissed Betty once more and she moved over to Lily's side of the room.

Michael was currently guiding Lily's left arm through the hole of a charcoal tank top. He held her hand and wrist and was carefully pulling it through the opening. He turned to Betty when she entered the area.

"Mrs. Jones?" He asked, finished getting Lily's arm through. He slowly put her arm down on her lap.

"Need any help, Michael?" Betty asked.

"No, ma'am. We're just about done, but Lily is going to need a wheelchair to get to the car," said Michael.

"I'll go get that for you," she replied and walked into the hall. Michael helped Lily into the pair of Nike shorts that Veronica brought for her, then slid her Serpent jacket on Lily's right arm and around her left shoulder. The leg holes on the shorts were flexible and easily went around the brace on Lily's leg. Once the injured limb was through the clothing, the opposite limb took care of itself. Betty came back with the wheelchair two minutes later.

Michael picked up Lily. She wrapped both of her arms and legs around his body as best she could so that Michael could set her into the wheelchair. Jughead and Betty pulled all of the curtains back, opening up the room. Michael got behind Lily's wheelchair and pushed her out of the room. Behind them was Betty helping Jughead, now in his Serpent jacket, half-limping out of the room. Once they got out, they saw that everyone had gone except FP. He'd waited around to say goodbye and to tell Michael that his father left the car for him.

The four and FP went out to the parking lot, where FP got on his bike and sped towards the Whyte Wyrm to keep the Serpents in check until Jughead healed enough to take them back. Betty made sure that Jughead was in the passenger seat before she went around to the driver's side and got in. Michael picked up Lily and set her in the backseat, making sure she was comfortable and secured before he took the wheelchair back inside the hospital, then ran to his car and hopped in. Betty pulled out first, and Michael trailed behind.


	18. Michael's Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael Keller, adopted son of Joaquin and Kevin Keller, taken by an awestruck Lily. He is 6'3" with brown hair and crystal blue eyes. He is one of the stars of the Riverdale High football team. Michael and Lily grew up as friends because of their parents' friendship, but drifted apart in middle school. After three years of not having a true conversation, Lily and Michael reconnected after Lily became a River Vixen and Michael took a spot on Varsity Football. They became fast friends once more, turning almost inseparable. There seemed no romantic spark until Lily ran into his arms crying over something a boy almost tried to do to her at the beginning of Junior Year. She wouldn't tell him more than that. For the next few days, Michael was there for her, not just as a friend, but emotionally. Two weeks after, Michael confessed how he really felt about her, and to his surprise, Lily said that she felt the same thing with him. Before she agreed to dating him, she told him the dangers of her life with the Serpents. He was shocked at first, but agreed to be there for her no matter what. She responded by ecstatically kissing him all over his face. They went on a date the next weekend, and the rest is history.

The Jones car pulled into the driveway and Michael parked on the side of the street. He quickly jumped out of the car after parking it and ran to Lily's door, unfastening her seatbelt and picking her up. Lily held tight to Michael's neck and waist with her arms and legs (as much as possible). She rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her inside, following Betty helping Jughead.

"Michael, would you mind taking Lily upstairs to her bed? Dr. Masters said--"

"--Bed rest for two weeks, yes, Mrs. Jones." Jughead and Betty turned around and smiled at the tall football player carrying their daughter. Lily looked up and kissed him on the cheek, then laid her head back on his shoulder. "I'll take good care of your daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Jones. I talked to my dad on the way here, and he said that I could miss school to care for Lily as long as she's out."

"We're fine with it as long as Kevin and Joaquin are okay with that," Jughead said. Betty nodded in agreement.

"Great. I'll just take Lily upstairs, then." Michael passed Jughead and Betty, climbing the stairs and whispering into Lily's ear as he went. Lily giggled as he softly spoke to her. Once he got to Lily's room, Michael made sure that one hand was supporting Lily as he used the other to open the white door. He walked in and over to Lily's bed, carefully laying her down on it. Michael made sure that she was comfortable before he did anything else.

Before he went to get a glass of water for Lily, he leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"I promise that I will never let anything like this happen to you ever again..."

Lily replied by giggling and kissing him softly.

Throughout the day, Michael ran errands down to the kitchen for glasses of water, snacks, grabbing movies, or anything else Lily asked for. Every few hours, Betty would text him to come and get Lily's prescription medicines and take them to her. Even with the whole realm of her house in the palm of her hand, all that Lily wanted to do was spend time with Michael. They would snuggle or just have soft make-out sessions with each other. Only once or twice had it gotten a little steamy, but Michael insisted that it was doctor's orders that they go no further. Michael would spend the night most days, and would only leave Lily's side to get her food or to go home, shower, change, and assure his fathers, Kevin and Joaquin, that he was still okay. He didn't regularly text his parents because he wasn't on his phone much when he was with Lily.

A few times, some of the Serpents came to visit. Though he had Jughead's protection from them as a "father-in-law" type, Michael made sure that he kept his distance from Lily when they came over. He knew that Cheryl and Toni were cool with him, but he still got an uneasy vibe from Sweetpea and Fangs, as though they didn't trust him. He'd narrowed it down the reason to the fact that he wasn't a Serpent. One of the nights that Michael stayed over, he'd finally broken the ice with Fangs and Sweetpea when he carried Lily down to the dinner table and they saw the look that Lily gave Michael. She was happy, and Sweetpea and Fangs were happy as long as she was.

For each meal, Lily wanted to go downstairs to eat with her parents. Michael got in a little extra conditioning for football each time he carried her up and down the stairs. When Archie (Coach Andrews to Michael) came over, he was impressed with Michael's dedication, while his wife elbowed him (" _What was that for?!_ ") and noted that she was happy that someone was taking care of her goddaughter as well as Michael was.

Betty and Jughead embraced Michael like he was their son. They made sure that he was getting everything that he needed to. Michael offered to pay the Jones' for the food he'd been taking up, but Betty and Jughead refused to take the money. Jughead even told him that he was welcome to join the Serpents as and adjacent to Lily or as a full-fledged member, just as Northside-born Cheryl and Betty did. Michael told him that he'd think about it. Jughead knew it was a large commitment, and left Michael to his own thoughts about the Serpents.


	19. "I'm Right Here"

Lily's door clicked closed, and Betty and Jughead looked at each other. Jughead's arm was draped over Betty's shoulders, and her hand was wrapped around his back, playing with the cotton t-shirt on his side. They walked into the kitchen, and Betty helped Jughead sit down in a chair before sitting down, herself.

Jughead chuckled to himself lightly.

"What?" Betty asked. Jughead looked at her and grinned.

"I felt what you were doing as we walked over here..." he said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Betty. She got up, out of her chair, and walked behind the kitchen counter to get a glass. She moved to the sink and filled it halfway with water. Jughead watched as she avoided his comment. She leaned her back against the counter and her eyes darted over at him with a guilty look as she took a sip of water.

"You know exactly what I am talking about," Jughead said, pushing his chair back and walking over to Betty. He stood in front of her and looked in her emerald green eyes. Betty looked away and swallowed the water harshly, setting the glass on the counter, then crossing her arms and looking back at Jughead. He inched closer to her and her breath hitched, barely noticeable. Jughead lightly held onto Betty's arms above her elbows, and leaned into her ear, whispering, "I know you want me, Betty."

Betty's breath hitched more noticeably this time and she wrapped her arms around his back, holding him close. She rested her chin on his shoulder, and he did the same, holding her tightly to him.

"I thought that I was going to lose you, Jug," she whispered, a slight shakiness in her voice. Jughead pulled out of the embrace and touched their foreheads together. He could see a tear rolling down each of her cheeks, and her eyes were closed. Jughead reached up and held her head in his hands, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. Betty opened her eyes when he did this, and looked into his pale grey eyes.

"I am right here, Betty," he whispered. "Do you believe that?" Betty hesitated, but nodded sincerely. "Good..." he added. "Because I am all yours..." Jughead smiled, and Betty kissed him quickly on the lips. Jughead deepened the kiss, and lifted Betty up so that she was on the counter. Jughead stood between her parted legs, his hand barely up the back of her shirt, feeling Betty's soft skin under his fingers. Betty held onto her husband's face, never wanting to let go, her legs crossed behind his back. 

Jughead pushed her into the cabinet behind them, holding onto Betty's hips. He kissed her neck as he moved his hands up to her face. Betty held onto his wrists as he kissed her, and she let out a soft sigh.

"I know you want me..." Jughead whispered. "Admit that I'm right, and we can take this upstairs..." Betty shook her head. Jughead kissed her jawline a few times.

"You know I'm right, Betty..." Jughead teased. "But you can't have all of me until you admit it..." Betty shook her head again, but Jughead reached under the base of her shirt, stroking her soft torso with his thumbs, working his way up, when Betty moaned softly under Jughead's lips.

"Do you wanna take it upstairs now, Betty?" Jughead asked softly. Betty nodded.

"Y-Yes..." Betty stuttered.

"You want me, don't you Betts?"

"Yeah, Juggie," she whispered, playing with his dark hair not covered by the crown beanie and biting her lower lip.

"Let's go then..." Jughead chuckled, picking her off of the kitchen counter, and taking her up the stairs, closing the door behind them.


	20. Michael's Light

On the third day after Lily and Jughead came home, Michael walked into Lily's room after grabbing breakfast at Pop's with his dads. Mr. and Mrs. Jones weren't home, to his surprise. Lily was sitting up, watching Netflix when he came in.

"Hey, Mikey," she said.

"Anything I can get you before I sit next to you, Lils?" Michael asked, taking off his jacket and setting it in one of Lily's chairs.

"Actually," said Lily, pausing the movie she was watching. "It's been three days... well more than that... since I've had a shower... And I thought... since my parents aren't here..."

"Because you need my help to get in, but the thought of your parents finding us even in swimsuits scares the crap out of you?" He asked, reading her mind.

"Simply put, yes," giggled Lily. "I can get into the swimsuit as long as you grab one out of that drawer." She pointed to one next to her dresser. Michael went through and grabbed a pastel yellow bikini and threw it to her. "Y-You didn't happen to grab a bathing suit at your house, did you?" She asked, joking.

"Actually, I did," said Michael. "I figured you'd need my help getting in the shower today." He held up a pair of blue swimming trunks.

"You can go change in the bathroom. I'll be fine right here," Lily said, beginning to take off her tank top. Michael slipped into the bathroom and shut the door, stripping down quickly and putting on the shorts. He looked in the mirror and ruffled up his dark brown hair so that it was no longer just flat against his head.

Michael hadn't figured it out yet, but there was just something about Lily, some sort of feeling of certainty that they'd always have each other. He and Lily only started dating a few months ago, but she'd warned him about the dangers of her lifestyle, and she'd only told him once he asked her to be his girlfriend. Before that she always hinted that there was something dangerous for her in Riverdale, but never told him what specifically.

Michael remembered the look on her face when he said that she was fine with all of the gang business in her life. He told her he could handle it, and he did. Once he told her that, she jumped into his arms and kissed him all over his face. Lily was just happy that there was someone that saw past the patch on the back of her leather jacket. Michael hadn't seen Lily's Serpent tattoo, but he also hadn't seen Cheryl's, Toni's, or Betty's, so he figured that the women of the Serpents preferred to save theirs for their lovers, or just wanted them to not be seen.

Michael turned around and started the water in the shower, making sure that he didn't get it too hot. Once it was warm, he picked up the plastic sleeves for Lily's braces from the counter. Michael opened the door and saw Lily sitting on the edge of the bed, looking pleased with herself.

"Well... look at you..."

"Pastel yellow is my color, isn't it?" She asked.

"I was talking about you sitting yourself on the edge of the bed like that." Michael hesitated and looked at her. "But yeah. Pastel yellow too..." Lily giggled.

"Oh good, you found the sleeves," Lily said as Michael walked up to her. He slipped one over the left leg and the other over the left arm. He stood up in front of her, gazing into her grey-green eyes. Lily couldn't help but see his muscled torso.

"It looks like football is doing you some good," she said.

"Oh yes," Michael said stepping between her legs and putting his hands on her cotton-soft shoulders. "Football gets you in shape easily."

"You're the best one out there, Mikey," Lily replied.

"You think so, Lils?" he asked. Lily put her hands on his sides.

"With all of the abs you've got I reckon so," joked Lily. Michael chuckled.

"Well, I can't deny that it helps me do this." Suddenly, Michael picked up Lily and held her legs under his arms. Lily immediately wrapped her arms around the back of Michael's neck tightly and gripped as best she could with her thighs. Her left leg was stuck straight out in the brace.

"Michael!" She squealed.

"What, do you not like this anymore?" He asked, beginning to walk into the bathroom.

"You just surprised me is all," Lily said, kissing the side of his neck up to his cheek. Michael stopped walking and took one of his hands up to the side of Lily's face, directing her lips to his. They released and Lily giggled. Michael carefully stepped into the shower with Lily still in his arms.

"Let's get you cleaned up first, Lils," Michael said. He stepped forward so that the water drenched her hair, then stepped back. Lily grabbed the shampoo off of the top rack, then realized something.

"Michael," She said.

"Yes?"

"I need your help with this," Lily replied, looking down at the shampoo bottle.

"How do you want me to do it?" He asked. Lily thought for a moment.

"I can stand on one leg as long as you can hold me up... and we could do this together," she giggled. "It sounds weird when you say it like that... but..."

"No, I get it," Michael said. "I see what you're thinking. I'm going to let you down slowly. Just... don't let go of me, Lils."

"Alright," she replied. Michael took Lily by under her arms and pulled her off of his body, slowly setting her down until her good leg was stable in the shower.

"You okay?" He asked. Lily had laced her left arm around his right side, holding on as tight as she could. Since the surgery, Lily was now able to move her fingers, and she held onto the ridge where his spine divided his lower back.

"Yeah, I'm alright," Lily said, holding her left foot from the ground slightly and the shampoo bottle in her right hand.

"Alright... Let's figure this out..." Michael said, opening the top of the shampoo bottle in Lily's hand. Lily squeezed some of the shampoo into Michael's hand, then closed the lid with her finger. Michael told Lily to hold onto him with both hands as he took the shampoo bottle with his right hand. Lily wrapped her arms around him. She heard the shampoo bottle being set on the shelf. Michael rubbed his shampoo-clad hands together and began to massage the soap into Lily's dark hair. Once it was lathered into her head enough, Michael picked up Lily under her arms and sat her on his hips. He stepped forward, dipping Lily's hair into the water and rinsing the suds out. She used her good hand to make sure that all of the shampoo was gone, and then nodded to Michael. He lifted her again and stood her on the floor of the shower after she grabbed the bottle of conditioner.

Five minutes later, Michael had done the same thing, but with the conditioner. When Lily got back on the floor of the shower, she had a soap bottle under her arm and a sponge in her hand. Lily wrapped her arms around Michael's torso after handing him the sponge and bottle. Michael put some soap on the sponge, then put away the bottle. He told Lily to hold onto his left hand with her right as Michael took the soapy sponge and washed her right arm (there was no use in doing the left), and down her torso. Michael kneeled with Lily's hand on his shoulder to get down to her uninjured leg and stomach area when he saw a rectangular bruise right above her belly button. He only looked at it for a second and realized what it was when Lily told him: the mark from the taser the Ghoulies used. Michael lightly kissed the area before continuing, which made Lily blush.

He washed down Lily's right leg, to which she winced a little unbeknownst to Michael, and caught any area he missed on her torso and stomach. Michael stood up once more. He slowly turned Lily around, making sure she was holding tight to his arm, as he washed her back down. He spotted her tattoo on her right hip, half-covered by the bikini bottoms. His eyes wandered down... That's when he saw the six cuts on the back of her right leg.

"L-Lils? Y-Your leg was..."

"The Ghoulies did that too..." Lily said. Michael quickly knelt and lightly swiped the sponge over the back of her right leg. He stood upright and turned Lily around. They looked each other in the eyes as she held onto his left arm.

"T-They did that to the back of your left leg too?" He managed to say.

"Yes..." she said. Tears started to well in Michael's eyes. He broke eye contact with Lily and looked up. He was trying not to let her see him upset. He failed. Lily saw through it.

"Hey, hey," she said, reaching up with her good arm and tilting his head down so that he was looking at her again. "I'm alright... I'm here... We're here, Mikey..." Michael nodded through the tears. "Don't let anyone,  _especially the Ghoulies_ , mess with your emotions right now, because when you do that, you allow them to control your anger."

"Did your dad always tell you that?"

"No," Lily said. "I'm telling  _you_  that... There's nothing for me to do now but get better, and I want you with me as I'm doing that."

Michael stopped for a moment. "Really?" He asked. "You want me here with you?"

"Of course!" She exclaimed. " _I love you_..." Michael smiled, picked her up by under her arms, and sat her on his hips again.

"I love you too, Lily," Michael said, stepping into the flow of the water, immediately rinsing the suds from Lily's body. 

Lily placed her right hand on the side of his face and wrapped her left arm around the back of Michael's neck, playing with his hair. She leaned her head in and kissed him in the pouring water. Michael kissed back. He secured Lily sitting on his left arm as Michael reached one arm higher, feeling her wet back.

What started as a soft makeout became hotter, exploring each other's mouths with their tongues. Michael gently walked up to one of the walls, pressing Lily's back up to it. He held her there as his right hand felt down her side, then pulled away from her lips and created a trail of kisses from her left cheek, past her jawline, on her neck, and down to her chest. 

Lily found it hard to keep in her heavy breathing as Michael came back up to her lips and kept kissing her. She wrapped her right leg around his back, pressing her firmly into Michael's chest. She came off of the wall and Michael stood back in stream of the water. Lily pulled back, but Michael only kissed down her neck again.

"Wait, wait wait..." she said. Michael finished his trail back down Lily's chest.

"What is it?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

"I... I just want you so bad, Mikey," whispered Lily.

"I want you right now, too, Lils... So what's the problem?"

"Doctor's orders..." Lily muttered. Michael grinned at her.

"Well I can tell you right now that Dr. Masters is a buzzkill," Michael began. Lily giggled. "But I get it... as unfortunate as it is, I could help you get dressed if you need... and we can watch your movie..."

"That sounds great," Lily replied. Michael nodded to her, then reached behind her and shut off the water. Lily placed her head on his shoulder as he carried her out of the bathroom. He had to walk back into the bathroom to grab a towel, which he draped over Lily's shoulders. Michael placed Lily on her feet next to a chair, which she leaned her right side on. Michael made sure that Lily's hair was wrapped up in the towel nicely before he helped her change. She made him close his eyes as she directed him in putting on her undergarments. Michael then took off the plastic sleeves around Lily's braces and placed them on her vanity. He helped her put on another pair of Nike shorts and a tank top. Lily amusingly directed Michael in how to do her hair. Once she realized it was as good as it was going to get, Lily got Michael to pick her up and carry her to her bed. He made sure that she was comfortable before going back into the bathroom and changing into his clothes.

Once Lily's damp hair was out in the open, it curled up quickly in loose curls. Lily's hair was almost dry as Michael came back out. He set his bag back in a chair, then walked to Lily, kissing her on the cheek and playfully putting her crown beanie on her head.

Just then, Lily's door burst open. It was Betty.

"M-Mom?" Lily stuttered, shocked.

"Your dad needs you to come to the Wyrm, Lily... Michael, you should come too."

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Your father will explain when you get there. We need to go. Now." And with that, Betty ran back downstairs. Michael reached down to pick up Lily, but he stopped midway.

"Wh-What is it?" He asked. Her jaw was dropped and she was obviously confused.

"Nevermind... Come on..." She reached her arms up and wrapped them around Michael's neck as soon as he reached down again. He made sure to pick up Lily's Serpent jacket before leaving the room and carrying Lily down the stairs, her body laying across his arms. They met Betty as she was about to get in the driver's seat. Michael put Lily in the backseat, then went around the other side, hopping in next to her. 

Betty pulled out of the driveway and sped down the road. Lily took the jacket from off her lap and pulled her right arm through the pastel yellow sleeve. Michael helped her get the jacket over her left shoulder and as best it could through the left sleeve.

Fifteen minutes later, Betty pulled up outside of the Whyte Wyrm and got out. She watched Michael get Lily out of the car as well, then led them inside. 

Nearly all of the Serpents were circled around the center of the floor. Lily kept in mind that a few were in the hospital, recovering from the rumble. Each Serpent had on a black leather jacket with the Serpent logo on the back, reading "Southside Serpents". Betty parted the way through the crowd in her pink jacket, letting Michael and Lily into the center. There was a bloodied man sitting tied to a chair. Standing next to him were seven Serpents, who Lily recognized at once. Sweetpea, a pair of brass knuckles with blood on them, Fangs and FP, the same. Toni, Cheryl with her red jacket on, and her parents.


	21. The Whyte Wyrm and Unspeakable Actions

"What's going on?" Lily asked from Michael's arms. She motioned to her boyfriend to put her down. She stood up on her right leg, bearing down on Michael's arm with her right hand. He realized that she was standing barefoot on the worn wooden floors, but that was the least of his concerns at the moment. Jughead didn't respond to his daughter. He turned to the man tied up in the chair.

"Do you still take pride in what you did that night? Huh?" He asked the bloodied man, pointing to Lily. The man looked her up and down.

"Yes..." The man muttered.

"What was that?" Jughead asked. The man looked into his eyes, but didn't respond. Jughead motioned behind him and Sweetpea stepped up. He punched the man right in the jaw. The man spat blood on the floor.

"Hey!" Lily yelled. This turned Jughead's head. "What is going on?" She asked forcefully. Jughead stood up straight.

"This," he began, walking towards his daughter, "Is one of the bastards that did this to you." Jughead turned to face the man again. "Do you have any idea who this girl is?" He asked him. The Ghoulie shook his head. "This is my daughter, dumbass!... But hopefully you know who I am, right?" The man nodded. "Well... Who am I?" Jughead asked.

"You're Jughead Jones, King of the Serpents... You're supposed to be dead..." The man replied.

"That's right... And you were there that night... After cutting off my tattoo, I watched you crush my daughter's kneecap and forearm right before I went unconscious... Isn't that right?" The man didn't respond. Jughead motioned and Fangs came up this time, taking his fist to the Ghoulie's nose.

"Isn't--that--right?!" Jughead screamed in his face. The Ghoulie nodded. Lily's jaw dropped open. She suddenly remembered his face, and squeezed Michael's hand in shock. In response, Michael pulled Lily's back into his chest so that she wouldn't fall. He held her around her torso as she stroked his right hand with her right thumb. Michael and Lily's attention turned back to Jughead.

"My daughter here said that she stabbed two Ghoulies that night in the woods... That she might've killed one," Jughead said. "Well... did she?"

"Yeah... she did," The man said angrily.

"Who was it?" Jughead asked. "Someone important?" The man turned his face away. Jughead motioned and FP stepped forward, clocking him in the stomach. The Ghoulie grunted.

"Answer him!" FP yelled menacingly. The Ghoulie shook his head. FP rounded on his face next, hitting him square in the eye. When he looked up, his eyebrow was bleeding.

"Who did she kill?" Jughead asked once more. The Ghoulie raised his eyes and stared straight at Jughead.

"THAT BITCH OF A DAUGHTER YOU HAVE KILLED MALACHAI!" the Ghoulie roared and struggled to get out of the chair. Sweetpea punched him in the face and he shut up. Everyone was staring at Lily now. The Ghoulie spoke once more. "The other two know what she looks like, Snakie... But if they ever found out that you're her father, they'll come after her... They'll kill her..." Fangs slugged him on the side of his head angrily, and the Ghoulie was knocked out. His chin hit his chest and he sat there, motionless. Everyone was looking back at Lily again, then the Serpents standing around them erupted into cheers.

Michael looked down at his girlfriend. There were silent tears coming from her eyes. She tried to reach out and run out of the Serpents' prying eyes, but Michael held her back. He crouched down, spun Lily around, then picked her up so that her face was buried in his chest. Betty noticed them and motioned to Michael, leading him and Lily upstairs to Jughead's study, then closing the door behind them. Lily's legs clung tightly to his sides and her arms were wrapped around the back of his neck. She cried audibly now that it was just them.

"Lily..."

"Michael what do I do?!" She sobbed. "I killed a man!"

"From the sound the Serpents made, it seems like he was a terrible man... Plus, you were just trying to get your dad out of there. It was self defense, Lils..." The door opened behind them. Michael was standing in the middle of the room with Lily crying on his shoulder when Jughead entered with Betty. He closed the door behind them and they walked towards Michael. Jughead pulled a chair around and motioned for Michael to put Lily down. He lowered her and she sat in the chair, her right hand covering her face.

"Lily..." Jughead said. He crouched down next to her, so that she was looking down at him. "Hey... Look at me, Lils..." Lily took the hand from her face, pushing away the tears and sniffling before Jughead continued. "Lily... you don't know who Malachai was, do you?" He asked. Lily shook her head. "And you do realize that it was self-defense, the way you acted that night, right?" Lily nodded. "That's exactly what it was, Lily, and I don't want you to think otherwise about it... Malachai was... the leader of the Ghoulies," Jughead said slowly.

"I... I thought Penny--"

"Penny used to be a Serpent, but she defected to the Ghoulies when your grandfather refused to deal drugs for her. The Ghoulies didn't mind dealing the drugs and pocketing the money, so she sided with them, but Malachai was the leader of the Ghoulies.

"He was a bad, bad person. He, along with Penny, wanted me dead. Malachai was the person Penny put in charge of attempting to kill me... But before you get too emotional, this Ghoulie may not be telling the truth. He could want to create a distraction for us, or goad us into a fight with the Ghoulies that we can't win. They don't know where our headquarters are, so we can't be harmed, unless someone tips them off."

"What are you going to do with him, dad?" Lily asked. Jughead paused for a moment.

"We can't let him go, Lily... He knows what you look like now... Plus, Fangs, Sweetpea, your grandfather, and a few others are riled up about what he did to you. He just confessed it. I hope you understand, Lily... It's not only for the protection of you, but the other Serpents as well. He knows what all of us look like." Lily looked at the ground for a moment, then looked back up at Jughead.

"I understand, dad," Lily said. Jughead stood up and embraced her as she was sitting in the chair.

"I'm glad you do, Lils," he said as he pulled back and stood up straight. "I've got some business, you're welcome to say hello to everyone, and then we can go home."

"Ok," Lily replied. She glanced at her mother, who took Jughead's arm.

"Not too much fun, Lily. Dr. Masters said you're still supposed to be on bed rest."

"I'll be fine, Mom," she said.

"And no drinks!" Mr. and Mrs. Jones said in unison as they walked out of the door, shutting it behind them.

"Like I was going to," joked Lily to Michael. He chuckled.

"Wanna go downstairs?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, raising her arms up, ready to be lifted by Michael. She giggled like she always did when Michael picked her up. He smiled, then walked out the door and down the stairs. Lily immediately rested her head on Michael's shoulder, and had her eyes closed as her boyfriend made his way through the bar. He kept a smile on his face, as did Lily, which prompted none of the Serpents to say anything to Michael. They figured that as long as Lily was happy and Michael was being good to her, there was no need to intervene. He still needed to be careful, because her left leg was stuck straight out. He walked up to the bar and set Lily down on one of the barstools. He sat down on the one next to her, and moved his stool close enough so that her injured leg was resting on his stool.

"'Ey Toni!" Lily yelled. Toni walked out.

"Lily, what the hell are you doing up here? Your dad will kill me if he sees you this close to alcohol."

"I can't stand up too well, but I'm not here for shots," Lily replied. "Two Cokes, please."

"That I can do for you." Toni turned away from the couple for a moment and returned with two tall glasses of Coca-Cola with ice.

"Thanks," Michael replied.

"'S the least I can do for the Serpent Princess and her Northside Prince," laughed Toni. Lily and Michael smiled at each other, their cheeks flushing. "Geez, you two are still in the puppy dog phase after how long?"

"Four months," Lily replied grinning, her face as red as Cheryl's Serpent jacket and taking a sip of her soda. Michael gazed at Lily giggling as she continued a conversation with Toni.

Once the Ghoulie was put in the Serpent holding cell, Sweetpea, Fangs, and FP came out to see Lily. Sweetpea actually picked her up and held her for a moment before Michael helped him put Lily back on the stool. Fangs gave Lily a hi-five, and FP greeted her with a bear hug. They stayed there and talked, laughed, and smiled for a bit.

Soon, the teenage Serpents came over to see Lily. Michael noticed that they all went to Riverdale High, but couldn't tell before because they weren't allowed to wear their Serpent jackets to school. Most of them waved and smiled, happy to see Lily... but one came to the front of the pack.

"Lilyyyy!" The tall boy said, trying to act gracious with a hint of distrust.

"Oh," Lily said, beginning to scowl. "Hey, Dylan," she said, almost sarcastically and diverting her eyes. Michael could tell by her tone that Lily didn't like him. She shot her eyes at Michael, then they darted back to Dylan.

"Michael, this is Dylan Sartor," said Lily, gesturing to Dylan with her good hand. "He's on the soccer team." She turned to Dylan. "This is Michael... my boyfriend," Lily said proudly, now taking Michael's hand firmly on top of the bar, so as to want to make Dylan back up. He hesitated for a moment. Michael was staring him down, sitting up straight, ready to protect Lily if needed.

"I see," said Dylan, puffing out his chest a bit. "If you need me, you know where to find me, Lily." Dylan winked obviously and walked off. Behind Michael and Lily came the sound of fists hitting the bar behind them. They jumped and turned their heads to see Toni enraged. She'd come back out.

"T-Toni!" Lily gasped. "I--" Toni held her hand up and Lily shut her mouth. When Toni finally spoke, she was no longer cheery like usual. Her tone became serious and a bit low. It scared Michael and it obviously petrified his girlfriend, who'd gone pale. Michael turned his head slightly and saw that all of the teenage Serpents had run off.

"What--Did--He--Say--To--You?" Toni barked at Lily.

"N-Nothing!" Lily responded, now going a bit red with embarrassment.

"Don't lie to me, Jones," Toni said strictly. Lily's eyes got wide. "What the hell did he say to you, kid?"

"He said hey..." Lily said shakily.

"After that, Lily." Toni paused. "The last thing."

"That I-If I need him, I 'know where to find him'," Lily stuttered, gripping Michael's hand tightly and looking down at her glass of Coke on the bar. Toni lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned towards Lily.

"Do your Serpent Godparents need to get involved?" Toni whispered to her. Michael looked from her to Lily, and back again.

"He saw Michael and backed off," Lily said quietly. "No."

"You know I have to tell your old man that he was trying to talk to you, don't you?"

"Yeah..." Lily muttered.

"Okay... Are you alright, Lils?" Michael noticed that Toni had become herself again.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lily responded.

"That 'a girl," Toni said, ruffling Lily's beanie a bit. She smiled. "Finish your Coke, I've gotta go talk to your dad."

Lily let out a deep breath, let go of Michael's hand, and took a sip of the soda on the table.

"Lils, what was that about?" Michael asked.

"I'll tell you later..." Lily said.

"No, Lily, that sounded serious." Michael moved a little closer to her. "What was that?" Lily turned to Michael and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I said--" she began, a serious look on her face, "not now."

"Sorry, Lils..." Michael said, moving back onto his stool and looking away. Lily suddenly looked remorseful at him.

"No, no, it's not you, Michael," She said, putting her right hand on his face and stroking it with her thumb. Michael stopped moving immediately and gazed at her. "I would be confused too, and I'm sorry that I'm leaving you in the dark like this, but this... just isn't the right place to discuss it..." Michael took Lily's hand from his face and kissed her palm, then held it in his hand.

"Okay." Michael smiled.

"Okay," Lily said, relieved. Michael began leaning into her, and Lily took her good hand, pulling his neck towards her. Michael took her face and planted a kiss on her lips. Lily was shocked at first, but leaned into him too. It started soft, then became more passionate bit by bit. Lily moved her bad arm up around Michael's neck, taking her good hand under his arm and on his back. He was standing over her, one arm locked around her back, the other hand on the back of her neck.

Michael picked her up so that she could reach him easier. Lily giggled and moved her other arm onto his shoulder. He was holding under her legs to keep her supported and sat down on the stool. Toni showed back up behind the bar and saw Lily sitting in Michael's lap.

"Woah," Toni said. Michael and Lily's heads pulled away from each other in shock.

"Uh..." Michael began, looking around.

"I would direct you to the bathroom or a closet or something, but Lily's dad would kill me..."

"TONI!" Lily screamed.

"Plus he's on his way back out here..." Toni added. Michael stood up again and placed Lily on her barstool, but they continued to hold hands under the platform of the bar. Michael was whispering into Lily's ear, which made her giggle. This continued until they heard a voice coming from a hallway in the back of the Wyrm.

"LILY--ELIZABETH--JONES!" Michael jumped back onto his stool, letting go of Lily's hand, but she grabbed onto it even tighter than she did before. Her eyes went wide and the color was drained from her face. It was Jughead. He was marching out with Betty behind him, both looking about ready to cut someone. Betty rushed out from behind the infuriated Jughead, who was looking around. Cheryl, Sweetpea, and Fangs also appeared in the area, followed by FP.

"What's going on?" FP asked. "She's right there, Jug." Lily's grandfather motioned to her sitting on the barstool. Jughead turned to Toni.

"No alcohol in that soda is there?" He asked calmly.

"Of course not!" she responded. "I'm not one of her Godmothers for nothing, Jones!"

"Just making sure," he said, turning to Sweetpea and Fangs. "Code Yellow."

"What shade?" Fangs asked. "There's too many Code Yellows..."

"Amber," Jughead said calmly. "You know what to do." Sweetpea and Fangs looked at each other, then turned back to Jughead, nodded, and ran off.

"DAD! It's not that serious!" Lily yelled.

"I think it's quite that serious, Lily!" Jughead said. "He's been warned before, and I know that you know this needs to be done, Lils."

"He's a teenager!"

"And? Does that excuse his actions?" Jughead asked. Lily looked down at Michael's hand that she was holding.

"No, dad..."

"C'mere, Lils." Jughead walked over to his daughter. Michael let go of Lily's hand and she gave her father a large hug, digging her forehead into his chest. Jughead let go, then fixed Lily's beanie. She smiled. Her father walked back over to the remaining Serpents. "That was all, you can go back to whatever you were doing." Cheryl and Toni walked away, but FP stayed and whispered something in Jughead's ear, to which he replied, "No, Sweetpea and Fangs should be fine, dad." Then, FP walked away too.

Across from Michael, Lily yawned. Betty and Jughead were watching them and saw Lily yawn too. Betty walked over to the couple with Jughead in tow.

"Lily, do you want me to take you and Michael home?" She asked.

"I guess." Lily yawned again. "But what about dad?"

"I've got my bike. It's still here from a few nights ago," said Jughead. "You three go on home, I'll be there later."

"Just, don't stay here all night, Juggie," Betty said, looking into his pale eyes.

"I won't," he replied, taking her by the neck and pulling her into a kiss. Betty was startled at first, then sunk into it and let go.

"Alright," she said, turning to her daughter and her boyfriend. "Michael, will you get Lily, please?"

"Of course, Mrs. Jones," Michael replied. Lily held her arms up and Michael picked her up. She sunk into him immediately, and Michael loved it. He nodded to Jughead, who nodded back, then followed Betty out the door and to the car. Michael thought that Lily was going to fall asleep in his arms, but realized that she was still awake when he felt a light kiss on the base of his neck.

Betty opened one of the car doors, and Michael set Lily into the seat, buckling her in, then went around the other side and sat down next to her.

Betty drove out of the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm and immediately got onto the road, beginning the drive to the Jones' house. Lily leaned her head on Michael's shoulder as they drove, and Michael rested his head on hers. It was a quiet ride. Both of the teenagers in the backseat almost fell asleep until they felt the ridges of Lily's driveway under the tires of the car and opened their eyes.

Betty stopped the car and put it in park after Michael and Lily sat upright. Betty began to get out of the car as Michael did, but he went around the other side to get Lily out. He carefully held her in his arms and carried her into the house, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. 


	22. An Emotional Bond

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: it gets smutty and mature... but mostly smutty.

Lily smiled with her eyes closed as she was lifted up the stairs and set down on her bed. It wasn't until then that she opened her eyes and saw Michael gazing at her after having taken off her Serpent jacket. Her mouth dropped slightly, then she grinned.

"What?" Michael whispered.

"Shut the door," Lily chuckled.

"Yes, ma'am," joked Michael as he pulled away from Lily and quietly closed the door, locking it too. Lily smiled. "Anything else?"

"I want _you_."

"Lily! Your mom is in the house!"

"There's only so much that we can do Michael, you know that."

"I do."

"So let's do what we've been doing... And more..." Lily used her good arm to sit herself up. Michael walked around to the other side of the bed and took off his shoes, then pulled his legs onto the bed and rolled over so he was facing his girlfriend. He smiled smugly at her. "What?" Lily asked.

"I'm here..." Michael said, feeling the inside of her cotton-soft thigh. "With you..." Lily chuckled. She couldn't contain herself. Lily used her right side to push her body over Michael so that she was straddling him, her left leg straight out. Michael held onto her hips. When they sat like this, their heads were even and they could reach each other better. Lily wrapped her arms around the back of Michael's neck and bit her lip.

"What now?" Michael asked, looking into her green eyes.

"What we couldn't finish at the Wyrm," she replied, pushing her head towards him. Their lips locked. Once. Twice. Four more times. Michael moved one hand up to her back to support her and kept the other on her waist. Their kisses got deeper and more passionate. Lily began lightly grinding on top of Michael, to which he let out a deep sigh and smiled.

Lily tried to take off Michael's shirt but she only had one good hand, so he did it himself. Lily felt down his chiseled torso as she kissed him again, adding tongue. They rocked back and forth a little. Michael used his hand on her back to reach under Lily's tank top and feel her back. She liked it and giggled.

When Michael knew that Lily was holding onto his neck, he flipped them over, so that Lily was laying down and he was on top of her, grazing the side of her body with his hand. It sent a shiver down her spine and caused her to deepen the kiss even more. A gasp left her lips when Michael tenderly kissed her neck. Lily's hand reached into his hair and played with the soft, neat locks. 

After what felt too long to Lily, Michael came back up and kissed her lips again. Michael grabbed her hips , and Lily wrapped her good leg around his back in shock, needing something to hold onto. This pulled her lower torso towards his. When he noticed this, Michael let go of the kiss for a moment and chuckled.

"Are you okay, Lils?" He asked.

"Yeah, Mikey, you just surprised me... " Lily grinned.

"Are you ready to take this to the next level?" He asked. Lily moved her right hand to grab his face.

"I think so..." she said sweetly.

"Alright then," He said, smiling. "Just let me know if you ever want to stop."

"I never want to stop with you," she replied. They gazed at each other for a moment before they dove back into each other's mouths.

Lily's hips fell back between her boyfriend's straddle. Michael slipped his hand down right below her belly button and stroked her creamy skin down until his fingers grazed the line of her underwear. Lily gasped and continued kissing him. Michael's fingertips slid under her cotton underwear and down to her crotch. Lily let out a small moan.

"You like that?" Michael asked.

"Yeah..." Lily bit her lip.

"Well how about this?" whispered Michael. One of his fingers went inside her and Lily's hips bucked.

"Uh-huh..." Michael could tell that Lily couldn't contain herself. The rest of his hand grazed her skin and her eyes rolled back for a moment in pleasure.

"M-Mikey..." she muttered. Michael shushed her.

"No need for that," he said, kissing her neck repeatedly. "I'm going to make all of your pain disappear, baby..." Michael came back up to her lips before sticking another finger inside of her. 

Lily's hips bucked again and she tried to groan through Michael's lips. He smirked through the kisses and started making slow circles inside of her. Lily gripped the back of Michael's head and his hair as she pulled herself into him, stifling the gasp trying to escape her lips. Lily loved it.

"Mich-- oh, Mikey..." she whispered in his ear right as he began stroking her insides.

"Shhhh... I've got you, Princess..." Michael quickly thrust his fingers in her, and Lily's whole body relaxed with a sigh. She fell back on the bed and Michael removed his hand from her, grabbing a tissue and wiping off his hand, then quickly throwing the tissue away. Lily's legs were shaking and she was sprawled on the bed, breathing heavily.

Michael walked over to her side of the bed, kissed her forehead, and stroked her right knee. It was still shaking. She smiled, exhausted. He bent down and picked up his shirt, but before he could put it on, Lily spoke.

"Nuh-uh," she said.

"What?" Michael asked.

"No shirt, Mikey... come back..." Lily patted the opposite side of the bed with her right hand. Michael looked at the shirt in his hands and shrugged, dropping the shirt and climbing over Lily to the other side. She giggled as he laid down next to her, facing her. Lily moved herself closer to Michael, resting her head on his bare chest, moving her left arm so that it was laying on his abdomen, with her braced leg on top of his.

Michael noticed that Lily's legs were still shaking from what he did to her. He pulled her beanie gently off of her head and began stroking Lily's head and hair.

"How d'you feel, Princess?" He asked her quietly.

"It was amazing, Mikey..."

"Your legs are still shaking from it, that's why I'm asking..."

"I can't make them stop," she chuckled... "Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"I need to tell you what went down at the Wyrm..."

"Lily--"

Lily sat up on her right side, her fingers tracing his chest. "I'm sure you remember that day that I ran crying to you and I wouldn't tell you basically anything..."

"Of course I remember, Lils... The beginning of this school year... I was on my way home and you were too, but you looked disturbed..."

"Yeah... I was walking out of school, through the student parking lot like I usually did at that time when Dylan asked if he could give me a ride home..."

"Wait, you mean Dylan Sartor?"

"Yes... I obliged and got in the passenger seat. Originally, we were on our way to my house, but then he took a turn to the old Sunnyside Trailer Park..."

"The abandoned one on the Southside?"

"Yeah... They rebuilt in a different location, but the original trailer park," Lily said. "Before I could react, Dylan put the car in park and locked the doors..." Lily began to choke up. "He said th-that I owed him for letting me ride in his 'pristine car'... I said that I'd rather walk, knowing what he was trying to get me to do... And as I reached for the door..." Tears began flowing from Lily's eyes as she continued. "He grabbed my wrist and said that there was no getting out of it... A-and he grabbed my leg, p-pulling me closer to him... and he tried to t-take off my shorts... but I kicked him in the face and took out my switchblade and shattered the w-window... and then I jumped out of it, running as fast as I could... I was crying so hard that I almost c-couldn't see where I was going... And my first instinct was to run to the Wyrm, so I did and I found Ch-Cheryl and I told her everything and she promised to protect me until my dad got there after he was done working..."

Lily took a shaky breath in before continuing.

"But Dylan showed up outside the Wyrm, and Cheryl t-told me to run as fast as I could back to the Northside, back to my house, and that she would keep him at the Whyte Wyrm, so I bolted out the back door, sprinting back over the bridge to the Northside, just trying to get away..." she paused. "And I ran into you... and I was a mess... but you took me back to your place even though I wouldn't tell you what was wrong... And you let me stay there until my mom picked me up after your dad, Kevin, called her...

"But, Michael..." She looked into his blue eyes. He was crying too, and Lily noticed that his grip became slightly tighter, wanting to hold her in his arms.

"L-Lily... I had no idea..."

"If you hadn't been walking back from football practice late that day... I don't know  _what_  would've happened..."

Michael couldn't take his eyes off of Lily. She was so stunningly brave that he could barely comprehend it.

"Come here.." Michael's voice strained to say through the tears, pulling Lily's head down to his bare chest. She held onto him tightly, and he did the same. After a few moments of the two crying it out, Michael regained his voice.

"Lily..." he asked.

"What is it?" She replied.

"What are Sweetpea and Fangs going to do to Dylan now?" Michael asked. "After what he said to you..."

"I don't know..." she replied. "But whatever it is... He'll be hospitalized by morning at the least..."

Michael shuddered, and reminded himself that he was never going to hurt this girl in his arms. He loved her too much to ever want to hurt her, but he realized that he may need to be more cautious with her in the future.

"Hey..." She said, lifting her head and looking at Michael.

"What?" He asked gently.

"I love you, Mikey..."

He loved when Lily called him that, and left a long kiss on her forehead, running his fingers through her wavy locks and making her crown beanie slip off of her head. She giggled happily.

"I love you too, Lily," said Michael.

"Mikeeeeeey..." she squealed as he kissed her temples on either side of her head and pulled her closer to him so that he could plant kisses down her jawbones. Lily continued to squeal before she took his face and pulled him into a longing kiss.

Michael wrapped his arms around her back and pulled up, sitting them up, Lily moved onto his lap. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and Michael was holding her close to his chest. When she pulled back to push a curl behind her ear, Michael trailed down and kissed her neck down to Lily's collarbone, moving the neckline of her top out of the way.

He lifted up her tank top, and threw it on the floor next to his shirt. Michael left tender kisses on Lily's chest as her head fell over the back of one of Michael's strong shoulders. He held her hips as she was wrapped around him and flipped her over, shoving her into the headboard of her bed. She moaned slightly and ran her fingers through Michael's brown hair. His kisses ran straight down to Lily's belly button and back up to her lips.

Lily moved her head forward when he came up, but Michael grabbed both sides of her face as he kissed her, and they fell against the backboard again. Michael went back to her neck and kissed it with passion, careful not to give her a hickey, right on her sweet spot. Lily giggled and let her eyes close as he played with her creamy skin using his lips.

Michael went up to her after what Lily felt like had been too long and kissed her on the cheek before sitting beside Lily and pulling her into his lap once more. She sat between his legs. She was leaning on his bare chest with his arms wrapped around her torso. When Lily relaxed her head, it fell onto one of Michael's shoulders and they chuckled.

They sat there blissfully. Michael turned on Netflix, and they began watching Lily's movie from earlier that morning. Every so often, Michael's hand would wander down to Lily's inner thigh, stroking her right leg gently. Lily would respond by moving her right hand under Michael's leg and just holding onto it. When he got tired of sitting straight up, Michael would rest his chin on her and kiss her gently at the base of her neck and on her bare shoulder.

Once the movie was over, Michael was leaning back against the headboard with Lily between his legs, asleep on his shoulder. She was delicately cuddled up on him, laying on her right side, skin to skin, not a care in the world. Michael's fingers were interlocked on her side, but under her left arm. He lightly caressed her soft skin with his thumbs.

Michael was about to fall asleep too when there was a light knock on the door. His eyelids flung open, and he was conflicted between trying to get his and Lily's shirts off the ground or not waking Lily, so he just sat there, panicking. He thought his life was flashing before his eyes as the door handle began to turn...

But the door was locked. The person outside started to jiggle the handle, shaking the door a bit. This woke Lily.

"Huh?" She muttered, rubbing her eye with her right hand. Lily realized what was happening and saw the look on Michael's face. "MICHAEL!" She whispered.

Michael looked down at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"Get our shirts!" She sighed. Lily rolled out from between Michael's legs as he picked up the shirts. He helped Lily into hers, then sat her up on the bed. He put his on as he went to the door, Lily sliding her crown beanie back into her head. Michael looked back at her. She gave a thumbs up and he nodded, then unlocked and opened the door and saw who it was.

"Mrs. Jones?" He asked.

"I just wanted to let you know that I ordered a pizza for lunch, and I was about to go and pick it up. Do you two need anything before I go?" Betty explained.

"No, mom, I'm good!" Lily said from the bed.

"We'll be alright, Mrs. Jones. Thanks."

"I'll be back in about twenty minutes." Betty waved to Michael. He waved back, then shut the door again. Michael turned to Lily, who was grinning smugly in her spot on the bed.

"What are you smirking about?" he asked.

"Just come back to the damn bed, Mikey," she responded with a serious tone Michael chuckled and walked back around to the bed and climbed back on. He settled down next to her and she leaned on his shoulder. Michael picked up the remote and started another movie, subtly interlocking fingers with Lily.


	23. "I'm Not Leaving You Behind"

Jughead came home after Betty, Lily, and Michael finished lunch. Michael and Lily were back in her room, and Betty had just finished the dishes when Jughead walked through the front door with a huff, pulled his beanie off of his head, and sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh.

Betty watched all of this happen from the kitchen counter where she stood, half in disbelief, half with worry.

"Jug," Betty said nicely. Jughead slowly turned his head towards her, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Oh my god," she whispered to herself, quickly sitting beside him, throwing an arm around Jughead's shoulder and pulling him into an embrace. "Juggie, what's wrong?" She asked.

Jughead held to Betty tightly and cried into her shoulder, not wanting to say anything. He didn't want to worry her.

"You have to tell me, Jughead, or I can't do anything about it," Betty demanded. Jughead pulled back, but didn't let go of Betty's hands, which he stared down at as he spoke.

"Y-You and Lily..." Jughead gulped and took a shaky breath through his tears. "You have to g-get out of this house..." Tears flowed from his eyes now, and his head crashed into Betty's chest, holding her. He hated saying those words with every fiber of his being. How could he ask the two people he loved the most that they had to go away?

"Jughead, I'm not going anywhere," Betty responded. "Lily isn't either. I--"

"No, Betty!" Jughead said, forcefully sitting back up. Tears came out of his eyes as he kept talking. "The Ghoulies know where the house is, Betty," he sobbed. "And I can't lose you! I just can't!"

"Jughead, we will figure this out, okay? We can--"

"We can what, Betty?" Jughead snapped. She didn't respond. "You both have to get out of here before the Ghoulies take you out of my life! I can't lose you, Betty... I can't lose you or Lily..."

"You've still got us, Jug," Betty said, putting her hands on the sides of his face. "We're not going anywhere."

"Betty!" He cried. "Can't you see how hard it is for me to even ask you what I need you to do right now? Can't you see that I don't want to do this?!"

"Jughead, I understand what's going on, but moving Lily and I away from you will do more harm than it's worth," Betty said, staring straight into his grey eyes. "I remember the last time that I pushed you away for your own safety when the Black Hood was around. I didn't want you to get hurt. You told me yourself that it was the one thing I could have done that did hurt you."

"Betty, we were teenagers."

"Does that matter?" She asked. "I'm not leaving you behind."

Jughead broke down into tears again, and Betty held him to her, shushing him and stroking his back.

"What do you want me to do, Juggie?" Betty asked after Jughead calmed down.

"Call Veronica and Archie," he sniffled. "Ask him if you and Lily can stay at the Old Blossom House that they bought."

"You're coming too, Jug," Betty added.

"No, Betty--"

"Jughead, stop protesting," Betty said sternly. "You're coming with us."

"But--"

"No buts. I am not leaving this house without you, Jughead."

"Okay." He whispered. Betty leaned in and kissed him on the lips, then pulled back.

"Okay."


	24. "Yeah, It's Fine," She Lied

Betty, Jughead, and Lily moved into the former Blossom Mansion, Thornhill, with Veronica and Archie the next day. Because of this new arrangement, Michael was forced to go home at the end of the day and no longer spent the night with Lily, much to their dismay. 

Veronica became an entrepreneur after high school, and was quite good at it. Most recently, Veronica acquired the old Thornhill mansion from Cheryl Topaz, who was glad to be rid of anything with the name "Blossom" tied to it. With this new property, the Andrews' entered the maple syrup business, not with drugs as Clifford Blossom had, but  _actual_  maple syrup. Archie had his job as Head Coach of the Riverdale High Bulldogs. Archie and Veronica's son, Arthur Fred Andrews, was in his freshman year at a boarding school that he preferred because of the music program. Arthur had his father's fiery red hair and musicianship, and his mother's complexion and eyes. 

Jughead was going back and forth between the Serpents and the  _Riverdale Register_  where he worked with Betty and Alice. Even after FP retired from the Serpents when Jughead was sixteen, he still came around to help when Jughead needed it.

When Lily went in for her check with Dr. Masters, he was surprised to see that she was healing quickly. He changed Lily from a brace down her arm to a cast that stopped just before her elbow, and took off the knee brace, replacing it with a much less intricate knee brace. It went from the lower half of her thigh to the upper half of her shin, and she could now move her knee. 

Lily was enlisted into physical therapy for her knee, which Michael diligently took her to and assisted her in. After a week of physical therapy, which she did tremendously in, Lily and Michael surprised Betty, Jughead, Veronica, and Archie when he helped her walk to the dinner table. Betty got up and ran to Lily, embracing her tightly. They rocked back and forth for a minute, Lily smiling widely and Betty crying tears of joy. Jughead sat in disbelief for a moment, then went up behind his wife and joined in the embrace. Archie patted Michael on the back and gave Lily a hug, and Veronica couldn't help not hugging Lily.

After that night, Lily walked down to dinner with Michael every night. She had crutches that she used to each day, but made the effort to walk without them to meals. 

Lily sometimes had nightmares where she would wake up in a puddle of her own sweat, her messy hair plastered to her wet face. She'd call Michael, who often immediately picked up and scrambled to get over to Thornhill. He'd console her as she cried in his arms and lulled her to sleep. Jughead would find them spooning in the morning, knowing what happened. He never mentioned it but to Betty so that she wouldn't be surprised seeing them in the same bed, fully clothed.

Three weeks after the Jones family moved into Thornhill, Lily went back to school with Michael. The cast on her arm came off two weeks later, and Lily was off of crutches three weeks after that. She kept a store-bought knee brace on her when her knee hurt, but other than that, Lily was healed. Scars formed from the cuts on the backs of her legs, which she was now able to cover with jeans.

It had been two weeks since Lily got off of her crutches. She was walking through the hall, her books held to her chest. Lily was on her way to have lunch with Michael when someone approached her. Someone she had never expected to see. He stepped in front of Lily and made her stop in her tracks.

"Dylan?" She asked. His face was cut up, but not from somewhere recent. These were cuts and gashes that were trying to turn into scars. It had been two months since Fangs and Sweetpea hospitalized him and slashed an "X" over his Serpent Tattoo.

"Damn right," Dylan replied smugly.

"Not to be rude, but I've got somewhere to be," Lily replied, stepping away from him. Dylan grabbed her bicep. Lily winced. He pulled her close so that he could whisper in her ear.

"You're going to regret sending your dad's goons after me."

"I didn't ask them to do that," Lily replied.

" _Sure_  you didn't," He whispered. "Doesn't matter, anyhow. You'll regret it soon enough." Dylan let go of Lily's arm and shoved her away. She stumbled over her feet, and began walking quickly towards the cafeteria. She felt violated. Not in the way that he tried to be physical with her at the beginning of the school year. Lily felt threatened, as if her life was at stake. Lily entered the cafeteria and Michael stood up and walked up to her. She felt a flood of relief come over her as they hugged.

"Hey, Lily," Michael said sweetly, kissing the top of Lily's head.

"Hey, Mikey," She responded. They began walking towards the table where the River Vixens and football players sat. They talked, ate, and laughed for a few minutes before Lily looked up as she was laughing and the smile faded from her face. Dylan walked into the cafeteria with two other guys behind him. Lily watched him intensely as he crossed the room and winked at her. She grew angry.

"Lily?" Michael asked. Lily snapped out of her trance.

"Huh?" She said.

"You were just holding my hand really tight there..." Lily looked down at Michael's hand. She'd dug her fingernails into his palm, leaving indents.

"S-Sorry," she muttered and pulled her hand back towards her, but Michael held on and leaned into her ear, whispering.

"Is everything alright?" He asked and pulled his face away from her ear.

"Yeah, it's fine," she lied.

Michael didn't believe it, but he decided to ask her later. The laughter and conversation distracted both Michael and Lily, but anyone could see Dylan Sartor sauntering towards a table full of ragged teens in studded leather jackets...


	25. A Thump, Clatter, Crash, and Two Shatters

Jughead had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped himself in a towel as he continued his conversation with Betty.

"Gee, Betts, I don't know what to think of that story," He said. Toni had written a piece for The Register that she handed in during their lunch break. It was quite controversial, and they had been debating all day whether to publish it or scrap it. These were words that the world may not have been ready to hear.

"Me neither, so I think we shouldn't publish it," Betty's muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

"It's really up to your mom, you know," Jughead replied. "She's the editor in-chief."

"Jug, we're the only other people that work there!" She laughed.

"Well Toni does photography when we are to lazy and we get special writers when--"

*THUMP*

*CLATTER*

*CRASH*

*SHATTER*

*SHATTER*

There was a pause.

"Jughead, did you drop something in there?" Betty asked. Jughead quickly put on a pair of boxers and stepped out of the bathroom.

"Did you hear that too?"

"Jug, you need to stop dropping my shampoo bottle." Betty was wearing one of Jughead's S t-shirts and a pair of pink night shorts, pointing a hairbrush at him.

"No, Betty, I didn't drop your shampoo," Jughead said, offended. "You don't get this--" he ran his hand through his dark locks... "-- by using your hair products."

There was a knock at their door. Betty set down the brush, walked over, and opened it. Veronica and Archie were standing there, Veronica in a bathrobe and Archie in a pair of boxers.

"Did Jughead drop your shampoo again, or did you hear that too?" Archie asked Betty. She turned to Jughead. He clapped his hand to his face and groaned.

"i DiDn'T tOuCh YoUr ShAmPoO!!!" Jughead said.

"Then what was that?" Veronica asked. The four looked at each other.

"Jug, get your switchblade," Betty said as she left the room, following after Veronica and Archie.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Jughead sighed as he fished it out of his Serpent Jacket and ran after his wife. When he caught up to the rest of them, Archie was leading with a baseball bat wielded. 

They approached the front door and saw that it had been kicked in. A metal tray had been flung across the room, but there was no place where the shattering noise could have come from. 

A light went off in Jughead's head. He and Betty looked at each other.

"LILY!" They said in unison. Betty pushed past Archie with Jughead following her. 

She bolted up the steps, skipping a few and sliding across the wood floors as she turned a corner in her socks. Jughead, Archie, and Veronica were right behind her. 

Betty expected Lily's door to be closed and locked, but had been kicked in too. She shoved past the door and stopped dead in her tracks. 

Betty fell to her knees, crying audibly. Jughead, Archie, and Veronica came in behind her. They saw the same thing.

Lily's bed: empty.

A picture of Betty, Jughead, and Lily: broken

A frame with a picture of Lily and Michael: flung across the room and broken.

Lily's window: open.

A baggie full of Jingle Jangle...

Jughead did a double take.

"JINGLE JANGLE?!" He screamed, picking up the bag and clenching it hard.

"GHOULIES!" He growled.


	26. Fake Names and Cheshire Cat Grins

**-Lily's POV-**

The last thing I remembered were five people in ski masks on busting through the door of my bedroom. Then a cloth being held over my nose and mouth. There seemed to be nothing between then and when I woke up.

I opened my eyes but it was still dark. I blinked a few times. Then I felt that there was a bag over my head. I tried to say something,but there was a piece of cloth tied at the back of my neck and my teeth bore down on it.

 _Great_ , I thought sarcastically. The feeling in my body was coming back little by little, and I felt myself tied to a chair. I gave up on trying to struggle against it.

 _I've been kidnapped_ , I concluded. 

And then I heard multiple sets of feet coming towards me. I'd heard their voices too. All whispering, of course, but nonetheless. 

They hushed up and the bag was quickly pulled off of my head. I was blinded for a moment by the lights and squirmed in the chair. I was in some sort of large, grey warehouse with wooden crates everywhere.

There was a woman in front of me, her blonde hair frazzled and her grin mischievous. Her voice taunted as she spoke.

"Well, if it isn't the Serpent Princess," she said.

I rolled my eyes and gazed away. Some of the people mumbled among themselves as if I'd committed a crime against the woman. She held her hand up and there was silence.

She grabbed my chin with force, making me look at her face. Her eyes were wild and her grin as wide as Cheshire Cat from  _Alice in Wonderland_. I looked skeptically at her.

 _What does she want with me?_  I asked myself. She let go of my face and pushed it back so that it was back where my head was originally. 

"She doesn't even seem timid," one mumbled. He was slapped by the woman for speaking out of turn. She looked at me again and snapped her fingers. One of the people went behind me and untied the piece of cloth around my mouth. 

I coughed after it was off. She snapped her fingers again and a cup of water was quickly brought to me.

"No, thanks," I said.

"Your loss," the woman replied and crossed her arms. I knew better than to accept a captor's food and water. The person with the cup had walked away.

I had a bad feeling about this situation and considered if I should lie about my identity.

"So," the woman asked. "How is Lily Jones?"

I made up my mind.

"Who?" I asked.

"You're the Jones girl, aren't you?" she replied.

"Heh," I laughed. "Me? A River Vixen?  _Popular_? You're piping mad, lady."

She began to get frustrated.

"You've got the wrong girl," I said. "The name's Victoria. Victoria Andrews. Older sister of Arthur Andrews."

The woman was steaming, and I was stirring the pot with spoon in hand. She glanced around at the people, and they looked away out of shame. It was working.

"Uh, yeah. It's NYU's spring break this week so I came home. I have no idea what's going on."

There was some mumbling among the crowd once more. The woman held up her hand. The chatter stopped. 

She walked around the ring of people and pulled out a teenager by the ear. He squealed and had scars all over his face. The woman pulled him in front of me.

 _Dylan_ , I thought. I had to act naturally. The woman spoke again.

"You said that this was the Jones girl!" She yelled. "You've betrayed our trust!"

Dylan began pleading to the woman. "No! It's Lily Jones! I swear!" 

She threw Dylan to the ground. He started picking himself up and pointed at me.

"Th-That's her!"

I'd been caught.

"Kid," she said stepping closer and looking me in the eyes. "I don't know  _who_  you actually are, but I trust my Intel... We can do this the easy way, just confess to being Lily Jones, or we can bring out the tasers and electroshock."

I shuddered at the thought of being tased again. I sorted my options. If I confessed my name, they'd probably kill me. If I don't, I could buy some time and wait for help or better odds.

"One question?" I proposed.

"Shoot," The woman replied.

"If you don't mind my asking... Who are you?"

She grinned and replied.

"But of course..."

She paused and knelt so that our eyes were even.

"Penny Peabody."

I was trying to stay calm, but my brain kept shouting at me.

_OPTION TWO! OPTION TWO! STALL FOR TIME!_

Shit. It was not a good day to be Lily Jones.


	27. "There's a Traitor in Our Midst"

Jughead ran into the main dining room and lit a fire in the fireplace. He let it build up, then threw the bag full of Jingle Jangle in. He fell to his knees and watched it burn, holding his head in his hands, tears falling through this fingers.

 _How could I have let this happen?_  He thought.

They'd taken precautions to get away from the Ghoulies, yet they still found Lily at Thornhill. Jughead gasped and looked up.

Only the Serpents knew that they had moved homes.

Jughead got up and ran up the stairs to the bedroom that he and Betty were using. He picked up his Serpent Jacket and rummaged through. He found his phone and dialed up the Wyrm. It was 11 PM and the Topazes, Sweetpea, Fangs, and FP Jones were on the night shift.

**-Toni's POV-**

I was wiping down the bar after the last person left. The only other people here were Cheryl, Sweetpea, Fangs, and FP. We had rooms with beds in them. Jughead let us stay at the Wyrm because he decided that it wouldn't only be good to have someone here at night, but it would be good for us so that we didn't have to find a place.

I wasn't opposed. My wife rebuilt Thornhill after her mother died, but couldn't bear to live under a Blossom roof. She'd made sure that she would be taking my name after we married. She wanted nothing to do with her family. The Blossoms were dead to her. Eventually, she sold Thornhill for a small fortune to the Andrews. Veronica got the maple syrup industry running again, but Cheryl checked in with her to make sure that there weren't anymore drugs coming in the barrels. There weren't, but Cheryl didn't want Veronica going down the same hole that her family had.

The Andrews family was hiding the Jones family at Thornhill. Jughead, Betty, and Lily. The Serpents knew this. That's when the phone at the bar rang.

No one knew the phone number to the bar.

Except for Jughead, Betty and Lily.

I scrambled around the counter, tripping over my feet but getting up, and ran to the phone. I answered out of breath.

"Is everything okay?" I asked. Jughead never called the bar unless it was an emergency.

"There is a traitor in our midst," Jughead's voice said over the phone. "Toni..."

I could tell that this was even more serious as I heard him sniffling over the phone.

"The Ghoulies took Lily," he sobbed. "She's been kidnapped."

I dropped the phone. It clattered on the table it sat on and I began to cry. FP heard it and came out to see what happened. He saw me crying.

"Toni! Toni, what is it?!" He asked from across the room. This brought out Sweetpea, Fangs, and Cheryl.

"THE GHOULIES TOOK LILY!" I cried. Jughead was still on the line. FP ran over and picked it up.

"Jughead!" FP said into the phone. "Okay. What do you want us to do?" FP nodded as Cheryl came over to console me. "Now?" He asked. "Yeah, just come over here, we'll take care of everything else. See you soon. Goodbye." FP hung up and turned to us.

"Send out the emergency alert to the Serpents. Get them here as soon as possible." Sweetpea and Fangs ran off. Cheryl and I were holding onto each other, and she was holding my head to her chest.

"It's going to be alright, TT," Cheryl whispered. "We're going to get her back."


	28. "My Eggs Don't Crack"

**-Lily's POV-**

This was bad. This was  _really_  bad. I was trying not to freak out, so I settled on what I was going to do. There was no way in  _hell_  that I'd let the Ghoulies know anything about the Serpents. Stupid as I thought I was in that moment, I'd die before they got to the Serpents.

"So... uh... Penny, right?" I asked. She nodded. "What do you even want with this girl anyway?"

"How well do you know Lily Jones?" she asked.

"I only know her because my parents are friends with hers. They go back to high school."

"How well do you know her parents?" She interrogated. 

"We've talked. Once," I lied straight through my teeth.

"Well her father, Jughead, is the leader of the Serpents," she said. I faked a startled gasp.

"No!" I said.

"Oh, but yes. He is the Serpent King. D'you know who we are?" She asked.

"I'm quite oblivious to things around here anymore."

"We're the Ghoulies. The Serpents and the Ghoulies have been at each other's throats for a while. A  _long_  while. We thought that we'd never get another chance at Jughead Jones until Dylan brought himself up to our teenage Ghoulies."

I resisted death-glaring Dylan because it would be a dead giveaway.

"He said that he knew where the Jones family was staying and that he could get us all the revenge we wanted. So last night I sent out a team that broke into Thornhill and stole you from your bed."

"But you got the wrong girl," I replied. Dylan butted in.

"No! She's lying! There were pictures of her and her family on the nightstand! I swear it! The rest can tell you!"

The other four who busted in my room last night must have nodded in agreement because Penny knelt down to meet my eyes again.

"I might not trust Dylan so much," she began, "but I  _do_  trust my Ghoulies that went with him... Lily Jones." 

My eyebrows lowered in anger. She looked down at my t-shirt. She could only see the top of it, as my whole torso was tied to the chair.

"Is this--?" she asked, and quickly straightened herself up again. "Undo the ropes around her body. Keep the arms and legs tied down. I want to see something." My arms were tied to the armrests and my shins were tied to the legs of the chair. My torso was tied to the back of the chair.

That's when I remembered that I was wearing one of my dad's old S t-shirts that my mom gave to me. Now that I thought about it, my mom probably  _stole_  them from my dad... Like I took Michael's hoodies sometimes... but that was besides the point.

A few Ghoulies began untying the ropes, they dropped and sat on my lap as I looked away from Penny. The S was in plain sight. Penny cackled as if she was a witch and I was about to be put in her cauldron. Then she slapped me hard across the face.

"Looks like we've got a liar!" She exclaimed. There were Whoops! all around. Dylan was praised.

"YOU DOUBLE CROSSING SCOUNDREL!" I screamed at him. "YOU'VE BROKEN SERPENT LAW, DYLAN!" There was no use in hiding my identity anymore.

"What's the use of Serpent Law to me when I'm a Ghoulie now?" he responded. "You shouldn't have said anything to your prick of a dad, Lily. I ended up in the  _emergency room_!"

"You were there at the vote back in January, weren't you?" I asked. "When I ran the vote. I was in the emergency room too, but I vouched for peace. I didn't want the Serpents getting tangled up with the Ghoulies again. Not after my dad almost died protecting the Serpents from a turf war. 

"Your grudge is personal, Dylan. It's with me because I didn't let you  _rape_  me that day at the old Sunnyside Trailer Park. It's with me because I told my dad that you came up to me and I felt threatened. But he sent two Serpents after you. I didn't want him to. You're a  _coward_ , Dylan Sartor. A fucking coward. Get over yourself."

I looked up at Penny with a scowl on my face.

"I would  _die_  before I let you near those Serpents. Hit me with your best shot,  _Pea-bitch_."

"Oh, I will," she said, the Cheshire Cat grin forming on her face one more. "Get your tasers, boys!" There were cheers. "And get the electroshock out too! She's gonna be a tough egg to crack."

"Damn straight. My eggs don't crack," I replied.


	29. "I've Got an Iron Will and Nothing to Lose"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suggest listening to "Gasoline" by Halsey on repeat while reading this chapter. It gets pretty intense.  
> There's a lot.  
> Trigger warning: Depictions of violence, mature language, mentions of rape, other mature themes.

**-Lily's POV-**

"AGAIN!" Penny screamed.

The taser hit my side once more. I screamed out and my head went back. The guy pulled back.

"AUGH!" I grunted. My head fell forward and I was breathing heavily.

"Where is the Serpent Headquarters?" she asked. I chuckled lightly, tears trying to come out of my eyes.

"I'll never tell you," I said for the sixth time. I looked into her eyes. She was livid. I smiled. She smacked me across the face. "I'd die before I sell them out!" I was really just asking for it at this point. Penny kicked a chair across the room. Ghoulies went running in different directions.

"Warm up the electroshock!" she screamed. Five Ghoulies ran out of the room. The Ghoulie next to me with the taser was a little shook.

"B-but Boss, the electroshock is made for adults, n-not for children!"

"I don't care!"

"Boss, this could  _kill_  her!"

"Shut it before  _you_  get the electroshock!"

The Ghoulie nodded and his head hung low after that. He didn't speak for the rest of the time. He did as he was told. Penny turned to me.

"I'm giving you one last chance before the big guns are pulled out..." Penny said. "Where is the Serpent Headquarters?"

"Did you check up your ass and 'round the corner?" I asked smugly. She smacked me across the face again. Blood started pouring out of my nose. "Or did you have Dylan do that for you, the rapist?"

"I had him beat when he first showed himself to me yesterday," she said. I stared at her for a second. "After he told me why he was turning on the Serpents. It was personal, and it was against you. He told me what he tried to do to you. He seemed...  _proud_." Penny looked at me. "I have no respect for you dirty Serpents, but I have respect for women. The only sympathy I feel towards you is from what he tried to do to you. I had his Serpent Tattoo cut off. Dumbass put it on his left butt cheek. It was nasty business."

"I'll say."

"I don't have any respect for Serpent Vermin."

"Aww, thanks," I replied sarcastically. She slapped me across the face again.

"What's taking you idiots so long! Get the electroshock out here!" She yelled. I could tell I wasn't going to get anymore sympathy out of her. The Ghoulies brought out the cords and started attaching them to my body. I grimaced at her the whole time. She stared back, but she released their gaze on me.

She knows I wasn't going to break.

**-Betty's POV-**

Jughead had to console me for an hour before he convinced me to come along to the Wyrm. Archie and Veronica were coming with us. They were adjacents to the Serpents, being Lily's primary godparents.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop crying. Archie agreed to drive. Jughead and I sat in the back, him trying his hardest to comfort me. If the Ghoulies had gotten to Lily, who knows what could have happened. When we got to the Wyrm, Jughead escorted Veronica and I to his study upstairs. He had business with the Serpents.

He was going to take a group of them to get Lily back.

**-Jughead's POV-**

I hated leaving Betty's side, especially in this situation. We were going to take a group of seven on a stealth mission. Get in. Get Lily. Get out. No shots at the Ghoulies unless necessary. I told this to the team. It was me, Archie, my dad, Fangs, Sweetpea, Toni, and Cheryl.

That's when the Kellers burst into the Wyrm. All three of them, led by Michael. Tears stained his cheeks. Betty must have texted Kevin. Michael stopped right in front of me and held out his hand.

"I want in," he said angrily. I considered it for a minute, then shook his hand.

"Us too," Joaquin added. "Good old Serpent work like back in the day." Kevin nodded.

"Sounds good," I replied. The door of my study opened, and Betty and Veronica walked out and down the stairs.

"Jug, I'm going too," Betty said, no longer crying. Just angry.

"Betty--"

"Jughead, you're not going to stop me." I stopped in my tracks.

"It's too dangerous. I can't loose you too!"

"I'll wait in the truck. I don't care. I'm going." Betty was determined.

"As long as you stay in the truck," I said. She nodded. "Okay."

"I'll stay with her in the truck," Veronica said.

"Fine," I said. "We can all go then. Remember. We're in and out, as quick and as silent as possible. We don't leave until we get Lily." They all nodded. "Alright. Let's gear up."

**-Lily's POV-**

I'd been hooked up to the electroshock. I did my best not to show how scared I was. Some of the Ghoulies that were putting it on me seemed concerned that I didn't cower in fear. I'd be dead if I did. Penny was getting tired of my sarcasm and insubordination. I couldn't help that I was hangry. I get that from my dad.

The electroshock was attached to my forehead, legs, and arms. I'd watched as Penny yelled at the Ghoulies to warm it up, and the rest fled the room. Once she was satisfied, Penny kneeled in front of me.

"You won't find this specially designed contraption to be better than the taser," she said. "This is your last chance before we begin firing this up. Where is Serpent Headquarters?"

I chuckled and shook my head. 

"Serpent women raise strong children." I paused. "I have an  _iron will_ ," I said. "And  _fucking nothing to lose_. You should know. You were a Serpent once." 

Penny stood and raised her arm. There was an electric current that ran through my body. I had a blood-curdling scream and I was breathing heavily.

"Do they not know?" I asked. "That you were once a Serpent?"

There came another shock. I screamed again.

"I'm guessing that's a no," I replied sarcastically. "You were a Serpent until my dad cut off your tattoo and left you bleeding in a ditch in Greendale!"

Shock. Scream. Heavy breathing.

"Yeah, when he refused... to sell your drugs." This was beginning to be exhausting. There was another shock. I screamed once more. My chin hit my chest. I was sweating now and taking deep and shaky breaths. Penny knelt.

"You think I didn't know your history?" I asked smugly. "You made my grandfather a drug mule for a quick second. You defected to the Ghoulies because you were weak!" I shouted. She smacked me. It didn't even hurt anymore. "You're a coward... Just like Dylan!"

Penny grabbed my face. I stared into her eyes. She didn't scare me. I worried her. She was worried that I wasn't going to give in.

"You're the most stubborn of them all, aren't you, Lily Jones?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out," I chuckled. She was not amused and grimaced at me. 

"Damn straight," I answered the question, staring into her eyes. She let go of my face and stepped back. Penny raised her arm and the shock went off again. I was starting to go numb.

"Well if I can't get anything out of you, I'll have to kill you," she said. "But I need a break before we can do that." Penny walked out of the room and I was left alone in the chair.

**-Jughead's POV-**

We pulled up to the back of the Ghoulie Warehouse. Betty and Veronica stayed in the truck. Veronica drove with Betty in the front. The rest of us were in the back. We hopped out. 

I gave Betty a quick kiss, and we started walking towards the back door. It was guarded by two Ghoulies. They each had a baseball bat in hand.

 _Idiots_ , I thought to myself. We at least had baseball bats with nails driven in them. My dad took one to the first one's head, and Cheryl took out the other with her bow and arrow in her archery cape. Toni picked the lock quietly. I huddled the group together before we went in.

"No hits on a Ghoulie if you can avoid it. In and out. We don't leave until we have Lily."

They nodded. 

"Good luck," I said. Toni pulled the door open. We walked in, weapons in hand, backing each other up. We made our way through the room, hiding behind giant wooden crates. We would signal to each other. We were moving fast, as if no one was in the room. My dad was at the front, signaling for the rest of us as we crept.

He held his hand up and signaled for us to hide. I peered from behind a crate. I clapped my hand to my mouth so that I wouldn't make any noise. I saw that Michael was looking too.

There was a chair in the middle of the room, and in front of it was Penny Peabody trying to interrogate Lily. When Lily refused to answer her question, Penny held her hand up and Lily screamed. Michael wanted to run up there, but I pulled him back by the shoulder. We couldn't just expose ourselves. It was a stealth mission. I motioned for Cheryl to get an arrow ready. She nodded.

I turned my head back to Penny and Lily.

"This is the last time I'll ask before I turn up the power," Penny said in Lily's face. " _Where is the Serpent Headquarters?_ "

I was startled when Lily responded. Her voice was harsh and gravelly as if she'd been screaming for the past four hours, which I reminded myself that that was what was probably happening. A tear escaped my eye.

"I'd n-never t-tell you, H-Hobgoblin," Lily stuttered. She was growing weaker. Penny smacked her across the face.

"Turn up the power!" Penny yelled. Her arm raised. Lily screamed again. Her voice cracked right in the middle. Fangs had to pull Sweetpea back, and Toni began to cry silently. Cheryl had her head in her hands. Lily had taken one of her catchphrases and used it against Penny.

Everything was quiet for a moment, then Penny looked at the people operating the electroshock.

"We'll have to wait," she said. "There's no use in trying to interrogate her like this." Penny and the other Ghoulies walked out of the room except for two that were guarding the door, unarmed. 

I saw what Penny was talking about now. Lily's head hung down. She'd gone unconscious. I could see from here that tears stained her face and there was dried blood under her nose. Her face was bruised, probably from getting slapped multiple times.

I tried to run up there now, but Joaquin pulled me down. Cheryl was looking at me.

"Take them both out," I mouthed. Cheryl nodded. She stood up silently and readied an arrow. One noticed her and tried to warn his buddy, but he already had an arrow in his stomach. The other tried to press the alarm, but Cheryl hit him in the chest. We all ran over to Lily, cutting off her ties and disconnecting her from the electroshock.

Lily was waking up, but limp. I was holding her in my arms, tears hitting her bruised skin. I was glued to the spot. Michael ran up to me and kissed her forehead, crying.

"We have to get out of here before Penny gets back," My dad said. I nodded and started making for the back exit. I was surrounded as we were sprinting towards the door. They were all making sure that I could get out with Lily's body. 

Penny and the rest of the Ghoulies came into the room as we got to the back door. Michael forced it open with his body, and we were all running towards the truck. 

Veronica started the truck when she saw us. Betty jumped out of the passenger seat and started running towards me, but we had to go. I ran to the back of the truck and hopped in. Betty climbed in after me, and Michael after her. Archie got in the front and told Veronica to get to the hospital. Everyone else hopped into the back and we drove off, just in time for the Ghoulies to watch us speed off.


	30. Lily's Courage

-Betty's POV-

When we got to the hospital, everyone jumped out of the flatbed of the truck. They got out of the way of Jughead with Lily in his arms. The whole ride there, he didn't let go of Lily's bruised body once. I didn't let go of Jughead. His tears soaked into Lily's S t-shirt that I gave her for her birthday. I stole it from Jughead because I knew how much I loved wearing his shirts, so I gave her one. 

Jughead got out of the flatbed of the truck and hopped down, running inside. Everyone else ran in after him. Everyone except Michael. I was a wreck.

"Mrs. Jones?" he asked. I looked up and wiped the tears off of my face.

"Oh... Michael... Wh-What are you still doing out here?" 

"I know that if it was me in Lily's place and she were in my position, Lily'd be doing the same thing for my dads."

"What would that be?" I questioned.

"Making sure they're okay." He climbed into the flatbed and sat in front of me. "Are you?"

"No, Michael, I'm really not."

"I'm not either. After you called me, I made a ton of noise to wake up my dads, shoved them in the car, and drove them to the Wyrm."

I chuckled.

"It's okay not to be okay, Mrs. Jones," he said to me. "I have full faith that Lily will be fine."

"How could you even know that?" I asked. 

"Mrs. Jones, Lily called Penny a Hobgoblin. I don't even know what that means, but it takes guts to stand up to the leader of a gang like that. Lily spoke to Penny as if she wasn't afraid of what Penny was going to do with her. Lily was stuttering with a hoarse voice by the time we got in there. She was being electrocuted for information for hours. Yet, she still didn't stop fighting Penny. It was making her livid. Lily had real courage when she was in there. You would have been proud of her."

"How are you defining courage, Michael?" I asked.

"Courage... it's not really the absence of fear that she had in there... I could tell that she was scared. No... it was the triumph over it."

Those were probably the deepest words that Michael had ever said to me.

"You raised a brave daughter, Mrs. Jones. There's no way that she's going to quit fighting. I have no doubt that she's going to come back to us. If she can survive the wrath of the Ghoulies after running into their territory, then there is evidence to believe that she will get through this."

"You're right, Michael," I said and stood up. "Let's go."

We walked inside to the waiting room, everyone standing around and waiting for news. Jughead walked quickly over to me and held me tight. He sobbed into my shoulder. I rubbed his back. Jughead didn't need to say anything. I understood.

"What did Dr. Masters say?" I asked. "Is she going to be alright?"

"She's in critical condition, Betts... But we're lucky we got her when we did. They're setting her up in a suite. It's got couches and a table and it's really close to the cafeteria..."

"Jug..."

He started to bawl. "Th-They've got her on an IV, breathing machine... She might need to get blood from a donor... She's O negative..."

"Jug, that's the rarest type..."

"I know..." he said. "We're both O negative..."

Dr. Masters walked over to us. Jughead and I let go of each other.

"Lily is going to survive," he said. Jughead and I embraced tightly, smiling from ear to ear. "But..." he continued. "She needs a blood donor."

"We're both O negative," I said. "We'll do it."

"It's good that we've got two. It's a good amount of blood. One pint each."

"Oh my god," Jughead said. "We'd better do this soon..."

"That's why I came out here. We've got to get you two drawn."

Dr. Masters took us away from our friends and led us to Lily's suite. Jughead was right. The room was nice. Lily was behind a set of curtains. We couldn't see her. There were two armchairs that Jughead and I sat down in as the blood was drawn. It didn't take too long to get a pint each. The nurses gave us a cookie and a glass of juice each. Jughead tried to steal my cookie because he was hungry but I slapped his hand out of the way, to both of our amusement.

We fell asleep in those chairs holding hands. While we were asleep, Lily was taken away to give her the blood and was brought back. Jughead woke me up when they wheeled her in on the bed and hooked her up to the IV, heartbeat monitor, and breathing machine. They left the curtains pulled back. We could see Lily now. She was pale except for the bruising on her body. Jughead told me that Lily had been shaking on the way to the hospital, and he told Dr. Masters that. He made sure that Lily was going to be in flannel pants and her S t-shirt instead of the usual hospital gown that got cold.

Lily's heartbeat was low. Jughead had his arm around my shoulders as we watched her sleep. I reached out and held Lily's hand. It was warm after being under a thick, fuzzy blanket that was draped on top of her chest, shoulders, and arms. Her hand was bruised on the back. Jughead told me that it was from where they'd been electrocuting her for information.

Jughead and I stood there for what seemed like hours. We pulled up chairs and sat next to each other. He fell asleep on my shoulder, and I watched Lily. When Jughead woke back up, he left for a few minutes and brought everyone else in. They sat on the couches in silence, waiting for a movement. Dr. Masters had lunch brought to us. We ate quietly. No one knew what to say to one another. 

By 1 PM, everyone had fallen asleep on each other on the couches. Jughead and I were sitting by Lily's bed once more, and Jughead fell asleep on my lap as I was playing with his hair gently.

It reminded me of what it was like giving Lily baths when she was young. Her hair was so dark, messy, wavy, and curly all at the same time. It would curl up after it would get soaked, turn into waves after she'd slept on them, and it would get messy when there was a lot of humidity.

Jughead would put on swimming trunks and get in the tub with Lily, playing with her in the water as I washed Lily. Jughead and I took a lot of pride in being Lily's parents. I looked at my phone and remembered what my wallpaper looked like.

I looked at my phone and remembered what my wallpaper looked like.

It was a screenshot from a home video that Jughead had made. I opened my phone and watched the video quietly.

Jughead was behind the camera.

"Oh, look at that," he said. He was practically squealing. He stopped mid-sentence. "Betts, is that my sweatshirt?"

"Lily likes the smell of it, Juggie," I replied. "Look at the little angel." I turned around so that I had my back to Jughead and put my face close to Lily's little head. She moved her arm up and rested it on my shoulder. That's when I'd screenshotted the video.

Jughead reached out and unfolded Lily's fingers so that he was holding her little hand. Lily gripped onto her finger, and Jughead and I chuckled.

That was the end of the video. 

I hadn't realized that tears were coming out of my eyes... or Jughead's.

"Juggie?" I whispered. He wiped his eye.

"I love that video," he sobbed. I put my phone down and stroked his head.

"I know..." I said. "I love it too..."

I looked up slowly at Lily.

She was staring back at me, her grey-green eyes penetrating my focus. I must've pulled Jughead's hair.

"Oww!!" He said, sitting up. He saw Lily too.

"Lily?" he asked. She was crying.

"Everything hurts," she said really quietly. She looked uncomfortable.

"How much of that did you see?" I asked.

"I watched you watch the video," her voice strained. "That's what woke me up." 

I just then noticed that her bed was inclined at a 45 degree angle. I looked at the others. They were all asleep.

"Who... was the traitor?" Jughead asked delicately.

"It was Dylan. Penny cut off his Serpent tattoo after she heard what he did to me," she coughed. "C-Could I get some water?"

"Of course, Lily," I said, planting a light kiss on her forehead. I walked to the pitcher and poured her a cup. I grabbed a napkin and put it at the rim of the cup. I helped Lily sit up a little more so that she could drink it. Her voice came back a little. She told us all about what Penny was doing.

"Did she get anything out of you?" Jughead asked. I elbowed him in the chest.

"No," Lily replied. "I told Penny that I'd rather die than sell out the Serpents. She didn't believe me when I first told her. We spent a good amount of time having subtle staring contests. The trick is to suppress your fear."

"Lily, did you actually think that Penny was going to kill you?" I asked.

"I didn't know what was going to happen," she replied. "I was stalling for time. I had hope, but at the same time, I was prepared for Penny to lose her temper and make the electroshock go too high. I was very sarcastic with her. I was surprised when she didn't break her coffee cup after I called her Cheshire Cat. A few got slapped when they laughed at my remark."

Jughead leaned over and whispered into my ear. "I should go get Dr. Masters," he said.

"Hurry back," I replied. He left the room.

Lily lifted her arm slowly and pointed across the room.

"What happened to them?" she asked.

"They went to rescue you," I replied. "They're tired."

"All of you?" she asked.

"Veronica and I stayed in the truck. Your father didn't want to lose me too."

"I saw them across the room, popping up once or twice, wanting to shove Penny's face into the void, but they all pulled each other down. That's when I called Penny a Hobgoblin... I wanted them to know that I'd seen them."

I began to tear up again. Lily was beginning to get a little warm, so she pushed the blanket off of her shoulders. She saw her bruised arms. I couldn't take my eyes off of her as she held her arms up to the light and looked them all the way down. I held my head in my hands. I couldn't bear to watch any more.

"Mom..." she said. I looked up. "There's more than just this... They were using tasers at first, but Penny got impatient and put me on the electroshock... She attached it to my arms and my legs and my forehead..."

I saw where there were two dark circles on her forehead.

"I'll be alright eventually, but I wish you'd stop crying every time you look at me," she said. "You should be happy that I'm okay, not sad about what happened..."

"You're right," I replied and stood up, walking to her side. I leaned down and hugged Lily. I could feel her shudder and hear her wince, but she didn't let go, so I didn't. When she pulled away, we both smiled and I held her hand.

Dr. Masters came in and checked her vitals. She was still in critical condition, so he didn't take her off of any of the machines. 

A bonus of Dr. Masters coming in was that it woke everyone else. They restrained themselves when he was there, but when Dr. Masters left, they all came up around the bed. Michael was still restraining himself, but he stood opposite me, holding Lily's other hand.

Veronica and Archie left first after hugging Lily, followed by Sweetpea and Fangs, Cheryl and Toni, and Joaquin and Kevin. They drove together to the Wyrm in the back of FP's truck, and FP drove Jughead and Betty's car back to the hospital. Jughead went into the hall to buy a snack, so it was just Michael, Lily, and I in the room. Michael and Lily were glancing at each other longingly. Michael looked at me, and I mouthed "Do you two want to be alone for a minute?" Michael nodded. I kissed Lily on the forehead, and left the room silently.


	31. Traitorous Acts

- **Lily's POV-**

My mom went into the hall to check on my dad, which left Michael and I alone in the suite. He was looking down at my bruised hand. He didn't want to see the tube across my face or the IV in my arm. My voice was still pretty scratchy, and I was in immense pain from the tasers and electroshock, but I could feel everything, so I knew that I wasn't paralyzed.

Michael asked my permission to sit next to me on the bed. He went around to the other side (because of the IV) and I moved over. He climbed onto the hospital bed and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. I let my head fall onto his shoulder. We spoke to each other in whispers.

"So my mom tells me that you were there with everyone when they got me away from Penny," I said.

"That's right," he whispered. "Your mom called me at one in the morning and told me what happened. I got my dads and I to the Wyrm as fast as possible. Michael paused. "Lily?"

"Yeah?" I responded.

"If you don't mind me asking... What happened with you and Penny?"

I figured he would ask that. I didn't mind telling Michael or my parents, but I wasn't ready to tell anyone else. The rescue team that my dad put together didn't ask, and they were sensitive enough not to ask. I relayed the whole story to Michael, just as I had with my parents. There were some parts where I couldn't bring myself to speak about it and would cry into Michael's chest. He let me take as long as I needed to get it all out.

"I was feeling as if there was no one coming for me until I saw a few of you try to get up and bash Penny's face in."

"You saw that?" He asked.

"I'm glad I did, too," I added. "Cheryl has called people Hobgoblins on multiple occasions. When I saw that all of you were in the back waiting to get me, I wanted to acknowledge your presence with an insult that I knew my dad would understand. I was afraid that I'd never see you... or the Serpents... or my parents ever again, but I wouldn't let Penny see that. She'd harp on it."

"How?" Michael asked. "How did you do it?"

"How did I do what?"

"Stay strong... for so long... it was sunrise when we got you out of there."

"I didn't want to give Penny the satisfaction of cracking and exposing the Serpents. I wasn't going to let that happen. They were counting on me to... wait..."

"What?"

"Penny could have just asked Dylan..."

" _Dylan Sartor?_ "

"Michael, we've got to get him out of there!"

"Your would-be rapist?"

"It doesn't matter what we do with him, we've got to get him out of there before he exposes the Serpents!"

"Shit! You're right!" Michael got off of my bed. He looked at me. I was still plugged into the IV with the breathing tube across my face. I couldn't go anywhere. "We" was going to have to be my dad and Michael.

"Go get my parents. They'll know what to do."

Michael ran into the hall, then ran back in immediately, holding the door open for my parents.

"What is it, Lily?" My dad asked. He was holding my mom's hand tightly.

"Look, Dylan went to the Ghoulies. He betrayed us but we have to get him out of the Ghoulie Warehouse."

"He's a traitor," my mom said. "Why would we  _help_  him?"

"Yes, but he turned on me quickly. He could turn on the rest of us. It doesn't matter what we do with him as long as we get him away from Penny! He could expose headquarters! That was the one thing that Penny was trying to get out of me that I refused to give!"

"You're right," my dad said.

"Jughead!" My Mom yelled. "We can't just go and rescue someone who betrayed the Serpents!"

"Technically, he hasn't betrayed anyone but Lily. We could stop him from being a traitor to  _all_  of the Serpents by getting him out of the Ghoulies' den."

"His betrayal was personal," I said. "Dylan wanted me hurt and Penny wanted information. I'm not sure that Dylan would give up the Serpents, but I'm not sure that he wouldn't."

"We've got to go get him," My dad said. He turned to my boyfriend. "It's you and I for now. We'll call the Serpents on the way." They shook hands and ran out of the room together.

My mom looked at me.

"You know that you are going to be the death of your dad one day, right?"

"No," I said. " _We_  are going to be the death of him."

**-Michael's POV-**

Jughead and I ran out of the hospital and jumped into the Jones' car. He threw me his phone.

"Go in there and call FP Jones. Tell him to get the team back together and to meet at the Wyrm and that it's urgent." And with that, Jughead pulled out of the parking lot.

I did just that. FP picked up immediately and told me that he was on it. By the time we got to the Wyrm, everyone had been assembled again, including Archie and Veronica.

Jughead told them everything. They all knew Dylan's past with Lily, but they agreed that if anyone was going to get a piece of Dylan, it was going to be them. We hopped in the back of the truck and took off across town to the warehouse.

We jumped out, ready to fight. The two guards from this morning were still guarding the door. They had dried blood on them from when we hit them twelve hours ago. We knocked them out again. Toni picked the lock and we entered quietly.

We heard a lot of retaliation. One person in particular against a good amount of people.

"Dylan," I whispered. We got around to the crates and hid behind them.

We saw as several Ghoulies were trying to force Dylan into the chair. He was crying and trying to get away. Penny was right in front of him.

"So you thought you would hide in the bathroom until we overlooked the whole situation?" she asked.

The Ghoulies had succeeded in tying him to the chair. Jughead motioned to Cheryl. She got an arrow on the string of her bow.

"It's your turn to be useful, Dylan," Penny taunted. "Where is the Serpent Headquarters?"

"I said that I'd get you the King's daughter. I never agreed to this!" Dylan shouted. I could tell that he didn't actually want to hurt the Serpents.

It didn't matter. One of the Ghoulies took a taser to Dylan's gut. He screamed.

"Where is it?!" Penny asked.

"I won't betray the Serpents!" He was tased again.

"You stupid kid!" Penny said. "You're not a Serpent anymore. We cut that tattoo off of you! Where's their den?"

"Fine! It's at the—"

But Dylan didn't finish his sentence. He'd just seen an arrow go straight through Penny's torso. I looked at Cheryl. She was standing up, another arrow at the ready.

Penny looked in our direction. We stood up, ready to fight. Then Penny fell to the ground. Possibly dead. We charged at the Ghoulies. There were five of them against ten of us.

Through the fighting, Fangs and Sweetpea freed Dylan and helped him stand, but he couldn't walk. His arms were over their shoulders. They were trying to get Dylan out when someone shot off a gun.

I looked at Dylan. He'd been shot in the side and crumpled to the floor. FP ran and picked him up, carrying Dylan fireman-style. We started retreating, gunshots hitting crates left and right.

We managed to get out of the back door and to Veronica in the truck. Archie hopped in the front, and the rest of us got in the back, trying to stop Dylan's bleeding. He was groaning and crying, lying on the flatbed of the truck. Veronica stepped on it, and we sped to the hospital once more.

"Thanks," Dylan said weakly.

"We're going to do much worse to you," FP said. "We were there for the Serpents, not for you."

Then Dylan fell unconscious.

When we got to the hospital, FP took Dylan inside, and we followed behind.

Jughead and I headed up to Lily's suite. We were both covered in blood from helping Dylan. He put his arm around my shoulders as we walked. He stopped us before we went in.

"You've truly proven yourself to me today, kid," he said to me. "I had a lot of respect for you already, but now I realize that your loyalty to Lily... to our family... to the Serpents, even, knows no bounds. My invitation to join the Serpents still stands. If you don't want to, you don't have to and I won't be offended. If you need time to think—"

"Mr. Jones," I replied. "I'd love to, but I also want to talk to my dads about this before I dive in."

"I won't stop you," he said, clapping a hand to my back and opening the door to Lily's suite, letting me in first.

"Oh my god!" I exclaimed when I walked in. Jughead came in behind me and gasped as the door clicked closed.

Lily was standing up with the help of her mom. They were both smiling. I noticed that Lily was off of the oxygen tank. Both Betty and Lily were smiling at us.

My girlfriend was wearing her dad's S T-shirt and a pair of flannel pajama pants because she'd needed something warmer than the hospital gown. Lily was holding onto the IV's pole with one hand, and her mother supported her other side.

I was smiling at Lily, tears coming out of my eyes.

"Mikey, why are you crying?" She asked. I chuckled and ran over to her, hugging her tight. Lily giggled.

"Easy, Michael," she said wincing.

"Sorry..." I said, letting go. She took her hand away from the IV and held my hand.

"It's alright," she said. Jughead was still standing by the door, and I remembered what happened.

"Uh..." I said. "D'you three need a minute?"

"No, Michael, I actually want you in here when I say this," Jughead replied. I helped Lily back into the hospital bed and sat next to her, my arm around her shoulders again and her head on mine.

Jughead told Betty and Lily everything except for our conversation outside the room.

"Is Dylan alright?" Lily asked.

"Really?" I replied.

"If he died because of me, I'd never forgive myself," she said.

"We don't know yet," Jughead said. "But you saved the Serpents, Lily, whether Dylan is alright or not. He refused to give up the Wyrm, but they brought out tasers and he would have given up our location had Cheryl not hit Penny with that arrow."

"Is Penny dead?" Lily asked.

"We don't know," Jughead replied.

There was a quick knock on the door and it opened. The whole team came in, out of breath.

"Penny was just admitted to the hospital!" Veronica said. "She had a ton of Ghoulies with her. We had to get here as soon as we could."

"Jughead, there's something even more important than that," Toni added. There was a long pause. "Malachi was there!" FP, Sweetpea, Fangs, and Cheryl nodded in agreement.

"He was never dead.  _It was a lie._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of Part I


	32. "It Was Just a Dream, Lils"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome...  
> To Part II

Malachi kicked the door in and stepped inside with a pistol in his right hand. His hair was dark and curly, his eyes wide and crazed.

"Malachi?!" Lily asked. Malachi didn't respond.

"Now wait just a second--" Jughead began. He was interrupted when Malachi shot him in the chest. Jughead fell to the floor.

"Dad!" Lily called out. "What is going on?!" She began to cry.

Malachi didn't stop there. He shot anyone that tried to step in front of Lily. Betty was next, followed by Veronica. Archie. Cheryl. Toni. Sweetpea. Fangs. Joaquin tried to charge at Malachi but was shot too. Kevin stood in front of Lily and was shot down. FP started walking towards Malachi, trying to reason with him. He was shot. Bodies were piling up between Malachi and Lily. She and Michael were the only ones left in the room besides Malachi.

Michael walked over to Lily's side, between her and Malachi.

"I love you, Lily," he sobbed.

"Michael! Michael, no!" Lily cried.

Michael turned around and faced Malachi.

"If you want her, you'll have to get through me!" Michael growled.

"Easy enough," Malachi taunted.

"Michael, no!" It was too late. Michael crumpled to the ground, his blood joining the pool on the floor. Lily looked at Malachi.

"What do you want from me?!" She asked.

"You almost killed me in those woods, brat," He grumbled. "I've been waiting to get my chance on you. I'm here to kill you." Malachi aimed the pistol at her chest.

_BANG._

Lily bolted upright. There was cold sweat trickling down her face and soaking her shirt. Tears flowed like a river down her cheeks. She couldn't breathe and her hands were trembling.

Lily was gasping for air but couldn't find it and was choking on her own tears.

Betty sat up next to her and held Lily's back to her chest, her arms wrapped around Lily. She was trying to secure her, but Betty didn't want to cause Lily any more pain than she was already in. Jughead woke up from his place on the couch.

"Go get a nurse, Jughead!" Betty said to him urgently. He bolted through the door.

Lily's bruised hands were gripping her mother's arms tight, never wanting to let go.

"Shh..." Betty whispered in her ear. "You're safe... I've got you... It was just a dream, Lils..." Tears were running out of the corners of Lily's eyes, and she was hyperventilating, taking in shaky, short breaths and letting them out. Betty calmed her down, Lily's breathing becoming gradually deeper, though still shaky.

"That's it... Mom's here... Good girl..." Betty whispered. Lily's muscles relaxed, and she leaned back against her mother. Lily hugged Betty, crying into her shoulder. Betty kissed the top of Lily's head and held her daughter to her.

Two nurses came in followed by Jughead, who was shocked to see that Lily was no longer breathing heavily. Lily was soon able to stop crying and Dr. Masters was called to check on her.

He thought it best to put Lily back on the heartbeat monitor and oxygen tank after her panic attack. She was visibly shaken from the ordeal and her hands were still trembling.

Dr. Masters left the Jones family alone in the suite.

"S-So it was all just a dream?" Lily asked. "Malachi is still dead?"

"You were asleep when Michael and I returned from saving Dylan. We didn't see Malachi there," Jughead said.

"It seemed so real..." Lily muttered. "And Penny?"

"We haven't heard anything, but she definitely hasn't been checked into the hospital. My dad is sitting in the lobby making sure that they don't get in without our notice," Jughead added.

Lily had already told her parents about her dream up to the part where Malachi busted in, and Jughead told Lily about what happened with the Ghoulies. Betty already knew because Jughead told her when he returned.

Lily sighed and put her head on her Betty's shoulder, remembering how she'd fallen asleep earlier.

Lily was tired after Dr. Masters decided to take her off of the oxygen tank after Jughead and Michael left, but she didn't feel comfortable sleeping alone, so Lily asked her mom to sit next to her. It was hard for Lily to fall asleep at first, but she was able to after an hour.

Once Jughead got back with Michael, they stayed in Lily's suite, but Lily didn't wake. Michael decided to go home with his dads. It got late and Lily still hadn't woken up. Jughead and Betty fell asleep where they were...

Betty gently put her arm around Lily's back.

"We can only assume that Penny is dead," Jughead yawned. He checked his watch:  _1:30 AM_. Jughead slowly dozed off on the couch right in front of Betty and Lily. They chuckled.

"Are you ready to go back to sleep now?" Betty asked.

"I'm exhausted..." Lily said. "And everything hurts..."

"I know, kiddo," Betty said somberly. Lily grabbed her cup of water on the side table. As she brought the cup back to her, Lily dropped it, the water making a pool on the floor. Lily had a flash of the memory of the blood on the floor. She shivered.

"Are you okay?" Betty asked. Lily paused, then turned to her mom.

"Y-Yeah, it's fine," Lily lied through her teeth. She wasn't sure that her mother believed it, but Betty got up and filled a new cup with water, helping Lily drink it this time.

"Thanks," Lily said once she'd emptied the cup. Betty smiled and got back in the bed next to her.

"I'll be right here if you need me, okay?" Betty asked. Lily nodded. "That's my girl. Try and get some rest now." Lily nodded again and laid back. Betty lie on her side, facing Lily.

"Mom?" Lily asked.

"What is it?" Betty responded.

"Nothing... It's just... I love you, mom."

"I love you too, Lily. Try to get some rest now."

"Goodnight, mom," Lily said, closing her eyes.

For the rest of the night, Betty watched Lily sleep, just like she did after Lily was born.

Betty couldn't stand to be too far away from Lily when she was smaller. When Jughead would hold Lily, Betty would snuggle up to him and they'd watch Lily sleep. Alice Cooper had to get time with her granddaughter by going to Betty's house early in the morning, keeping Lily occupied while her parents slept. Alice would make breakfast for them on those days. She understood how tired Betty and Jughead were. Once Betty and Jughead were awake with Lily, it was hard to get her out of their arms.

All three of them would fall asleep on one another: Jughead on the couch, Betty on top of Jughead, and Lily snuggled up to Betty. When Bughead finally wanted a break, they had their choice of welcoming babysitters. The Andrews or the Topazes were their first choices, but Betty and Jughead would also get help from FP, Alice, Sweetpea, and Fangs. Fangs wasn't usually trusted with Lily because he once tried to give Lily a switchblade, but he was allowed to help one of the others. Sweetpea always denied that he was softer around Lily, with his usual tough-guy attitude, but he could no longer deny it when Bughead came home to Sweetpea asleep on the couch, holding Lily sweetly to his chest as cartoons were being played on the TV. FP and Alice often teamed up for babysitting to even out who got more grandparent time with Lily.

Betty still remembered one night where she and Jughead trusted Cheryl and Toni with babysitting Lily. Sweetpea and Fangs agreed to help. Betty and Jughead dropped Lily off at the Wyrm with Toni and Cheryl before they went to Pop's on a date night. Betty and Jughead sat down and ate their meal. About twenty minutes after, Toni pulled Jughead and Betty out of Pop's and made them go full speed to the Whyte Wyrm. They ran in and saw Lily taking her first steps towards them with Fangs there to catch her when she would stumble. Cheryl was recording it and Sweetpea was crying tears of joy. The rest of the Serpents had made a circle around Lily, giving her lots of space to walk. Jughead and Betty went into the middle. Jughead knelt down and coaxed Lily towards him. She was giggling and taking little steps towards her dad. She fell down to her hands and knees once but got back up and kept going until she got to Jughead. He picked her up and held her, wrapping his other arm around Betty. It was probably the happiest moment of her life with her two favorite people.

Just then, Jughead sat upright. He looked over at Betty and Lily and sighed. Betty noticed him now and he ran his hand through his hair. Betty wanted to say something to Jughead, but she didn't want to wake Lily. Jughead checked his phone, set it down, and walked over to Betty.

"Can't sleep," he whispered when he sat in the chair next to the bed.

"Me neither," Betty replied softly. "What time is it?"

"Four AM."

"Already?"

"What do you mean  _already_?" Jughead paused. "Don't tell me you've stayed up for three hours just watching her sleep..."

"Jug, I want to be awake in case she needs me..."

"... I understand that..." Jughead said to Betty's surprise. "But after tonight, we alternate."

"Deal," Betty whispered. They went back to silence. An hour passed and all that could be heard from the room was the rhythm of breathing and the beeping that the heartbeat monitor made, not knowing what was to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, everything in the previous part from Michael's POV actually happened up until where Michael and Jughead walk in to see Lily. When Michael and Jughead see Lily standing up is where her dream sequence starts. It's confusing because I didn't think about this when I was writing for Michael. I would have written it from Lily's POV if I'd been thinking ahead.


	33. No More Lies

_"Tell me where the Serpents are!" Penny exclaimed in her face._

_Lily denied her._

Shock. Scream. _It hurt._

_"Where are they?!" Penny asked._

_"I'd never tell you!" she replied._

Shock. Scream. _Tears came out of her eyes._

_"Tell me where they are, Jones!"_

_"Never!"_

Shock. Scream. Shock. Scream. Shock. Scream.  _Jolt._

Lily woke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily, tears down her face. The heartbeat monitor was beeping almost out of control. Her mother held onto her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace.

"Breathe, Lily," she said. Lily held onto her mother's hands until she could calm down. "It's alright... Nice and easy..." Lily was breathing in deeply and slowly. Tears were flowing down her cheeks and her eyes were wide with shock. The monitor for her heartbeat slowed its beeping.

"That's it... Okay, I'm letting go now..." Lily nodded silently and Betty pulled out of the embrace.

"What was it this time?" Jughead asked caringly.

"P-Penny... and the electroshock..." Lily said between deep breaths. She shuddered when she finished. Jughead and Betty gave her some time to cool down after the mini panic attack.

Jughead got out of his chair and sat on the edge of Lily's bed, holding her hand gently.

"Lily, if there's anything concerning you that you're not telling us..."

"There's nothing that I'm not telling you," Lily lied. She was only keeping the Malachi dream from them, but he was dead, so what did it matter?

Dr. Masters busted in, out of breath.

"Is everything okay?" He asked. Lily hesitated. She wasn't sure.

"Yes, Dr. Masters, thanks," Jughead replied. Dr. Masters nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Lily and Jughead turned back to each other.

"Don't lie to me, Lily," he said, looking into her eyes. "Is there something else that you're not telling us?"

Her father's grey eyes flashed to Penny's face. Lily, startled, blinked a few times. Jughead was back. She let out a sigh.

"No," she lied.

"Jug, could you give us a minute?" Betty asked from behind Lily. Jughead sighed and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Betty got out of the bed and stood in front of Lily. She held Lily's hands in her own.

"Lily, I realize this can be hard for you-," she sighed, "-but your father and I cannot read your mind. We can both tell that there is something larger going on. If you'd rather tell Michael, we can call him..."

"I don't know if I could tell him either," Lily sniffled.

"Then could you please tell me, Lily?" Betty asked. Lily sighed, realizing that there was no way out of it. She nodded hesitantly and took a deep breath.

"I told you about what I saw last night... but there was more than I said..." Lily mumbled. "Malachi busted in the room with a gun, and he started shooting anyone who stepped between him and I. H-He shot Dad f-first... then you... a-and everyone in th-this room unt-til it was only M-Michael left..." Lily was crying now.

"That's why you couldn't tell Michael," Betty interrupted. Lily nodded and continued to bawl.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed. Betty pulled her into an embrace, Lily's head buried in her mother's shoulder and her arms wrapped tightly around Betty. She lightly rubbed Lily's back and calmed her down as she cried. "H-He shot Michael, t-too... and th-then he shot m-me and-and I w-woke up..."

"Shh..." Betty said, tears now running from her eyes. "It's alright... Y-You're safe..." Betty had envisioned Lily's dream. Just the last part. She didn't know what she'd do if Lily was killed because of Serpent business, but she realized that Lily was alive only because of the Serpents' rescue mission 24 hours before. Betty held her daughter's head to her shoulder.

There was a light knock on the door and Jughead poked his head in. Jughead and Betty looked each other in the eyes and she mouthed "I'll tell you later." 

Jughead nodded and mouthed "Michael's here to see Lily." 

Betty nodded. "One minute," she signaled. Jughead took his head away from the doorway and shut the door silently.

"It was just a dream," Betty said. "Okay?" Lily's crying became quieter and she nodded, rubbing her forehead up against Betty's shoulder. Betty stepped back and Lily wiped her face with the neck of her S t-shirt. "Michael's here to see you... d'you want me to let him in?"

"Yeah..." Lily said, a faint smile on her face.

"You don't have to tell Michael if you don't want to, but your father needs to know so I'm going to tell him, okay?" Betty asked. Lily nodded.

"Thanks," she sniffled.

"And if you want me to tell Michael, you just let me know. I know it was hard for you to say anything to me..." Betty said. 

"I'm not ready for him to know yet..." Lily muttered.

"And that's fine," Betty assured her. Lily nodded. "I'm going to let him in now. Your father and I will be right outside the door." Lily nodded and Betty kissed her daughter's forehead, then walked to the door and opened it. Betty poked her head out and saw Michael and Jughead sitting down. They stood when the door opened.

"She's ready for you, Michael," Betty said. He smiled and walked in the room. Betty stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him, letting out a sigh. She turned to Jughead, who had his arms stretched out towards her. Betty let a troubled smile come across her face, stepped forward, and hugged Jughead. He held onto her and sighed.

"What happened in there?" Jughead whispered in her ear. He wasn't going to let Betty go for her to explain. She didn't want to, either.

"The dream she had last night about Malachi... She didn't tell us everything after she woke up... She dreamed that Malachi busted into her hospital room with a gun... and..." Betty couldn't help but to let a few tears slip out.

"Hey..." Jughead whispered. "Let it out... It's okay..." He kissed the side of her head.

"Malachi was shooting at people," Betty managed to say through the tears. "He shot you first, then me, and everyone that tried to stand between him and Lily..."

She took a deep, shaky breath.

"Until Michael was left, and Malachi shot him too... And then he shot Lily!" She whispered. Jughead held Betty tighter. Tears had started to flow from his eyes too.

"It was just a dr-dream..." Jughead sniffled. "It wasn't real, Betty..." She nodded. "Lily's gonna be alright, but we've gotta help her get through this... " Betty stepped back and held onto his hands. They were looking each other in the eyes.

"Y-You're so much stronger than all of the white noise..." Jughead said, moving one hand up to Betty's collar and feeling the material between his fingers. "So don't," he choked on his tears. "Don't let go," he muttered. A tear ran down his face.

"I won't," Betty said through the visible tear stains on her face. 

"And I won't either," Jughead muttered. They embraced once more and stood in the middle of the hallway. Jughead kissed his wife's cheek. "We'll figure this out... Together..."


	34. Debts

Lily's head lay on her boyfriend's torso. She was trying to sleep, but images of Penny Peabody and Malachi plagued the inside of her eyelids. She hadn't told Michael anything about her dreams or her panic attacks which were looking to become routine.

Michael's body was warm, and it was a relief for her because the room felt freezing. This was yet another reason that she didn't feel comfortable sleeping alone. It was about as cold as that god-forsaken Ghoulie warehouse. Michael thought it was actually a bit warm, but Lily stuck to her belief that the room was going to freeze over. When she told him this, Michael took off his hoodie and helped Lily into it. It was two sizes too big, smelled like Michael, and was still warm: all pros to the situation if you asked Lily.

She was happy that Michael had come by because he wouldn't ask any questions about the Ghoulies or what happened or her dreams. Michael would sit there and hold her lightly and snuggle and watch movies on the TV with her (and occasionally make jokes that made Lily smile). They'd Facetimed a few of their friends, who were told that Lily was in the hospital for a surgery. It was a few football players, a few River Vixens, some of the teen Serpents (including Cherie Topaz, Cheryl and Toni's adopted daughter, one of Lily's BFFs and currently on a Vixen's retreat). 

Most recently, Lily was feeling a little tired after Dr. Masters came in and took her off of the IV, heartbeat monitor, and breathing machine, so Michael suggested that she take a nap. Lily was a little hesitant, but she agreed so that she could try to fight off these nightmares. 

Every time Lily closed her eyes, she saw and heard Penny trying to torture her for information. She would open her eyes and remember that she was in the hospital, Michael running his fingers through her dark hair delicately. She'd try again and see Malachi with a gun pointed at her chest. And Lily would wake up again and remember where she was. It was a continuous cycle. After about twenty minutes, Lily sat up. Michael was confused. He sat up too.

"Lils? What is it?"

She didn't know what to say. Then she remembered something.

"Whatever happened to Dylan?" She asked, looking into his clear blue eyes.

"Well he had surgery for a gunshot wound. Sweetpea and Fangs are guarding his room to make sure that he's safe. I saw Cheryl earlier and she said that he was awake, but not talking to anyone. She did say that he..." Michael trailed off and didn't want to finish his sentence.

"That he what, Michael?" Lily asked.

"That he wanted to talk to you..."

"Talk to me? Why?"

"That's just it, he won't tell anyone why. He just wants to talk to you alone."

"I bet it's important..." Lily added.

"Are you really considering this?" Michael asked. "Going to talk to a traitor?"

"A traitor that you went and saved from the Ghoulies?"

Michael stopped.

"Does it mean that much to you to see him?" He asked.

"Dylan has been through a lot... So have I... I have no idea what he's going to say," Lily said. "I want to know what he wants to tell me."

"Well... Dr. Masters has cleared you to walk around a little..." Michael said. "I could help you walk to Dylan's room..."

"Alright," Lily replied. 

Michael got out of the hospital bed and went around to the other side. He helped Lily move her legs over the side of the bed, and she slid her feet down to the cold tile. She winced when her the soles of her feet touched the floor.

"Are you alright?" Michael asked her.

"The floor is frigid," Lily chuckled. "It's fine."

Michael held out his hands, and Lily grabbed them, letting herself put weight on her feet.

"Can you do this?" He asked.

"Well I didn't survive the Ghoulies' wrath to not be able to walk again, did I?"

"I suppose not..." Michael moved over to her left side, and she wrapped her arm around his torso. Michael followed suit and put his hand on her right hip, trying to support her.

There was an audible wince and Lily moved his hand to below her armpit.

"Is everything okay?"

"Y-Yeah... It's fine," Lily responded. She knew exactly what happened, but she wasn't ready to tell Michael. She hadn't even told her parents. "Let's go."

They started walking towards the door a little slowly until Lily got the feel for being back on her feet. Michael opened the door, and they went through it into the hall. Jughead and Betty jumped up.

"Wh-What?!" Jughead exclaimed. "Where do you think you two are going?"

"We're going to see Dylan," Lily said confidently.

"Dylan  _Sartor_?" Betty asked.

"Precisely," Lily replied. "Excuse us." They kept walking down the hall. Jughead and Betty followed behind. They didn't protest. Michael and Lily walked all the way down to Dylan's door. Michael knocked. A few seconds later, Fangs opened the door.

"Lily?" He asked.

"I heard Dylan wanted to talk to me," she said.

"H-He does, but I don't think you should-" Fangs was cut off.

Lily entered the room with Michael by her side. Dylan was sitting in his hospital bed, Sweetpea sitting in a chair next to his bed. Dylan looked over at Lily when she came in.

"Lily?" he asked in disbelief.

"No. Sheila," Lily replied sarcastically. "No shit, Sherlock." Sweetpea stood up from the other side of the bed.

"Lily, I don't think-" he began.

"Could we get a minute alone, please?" Lily asked.

"We can't just-" Sweetpea began.

"You can't what? Wait outside the door?" Lily asked cheekily. Sweetpea and Fangs left the room silently and closed the door.

"So," Lily said. "Heard you wanted to talk."

"I wanted to talk to you  _alone_." Dylan motioned to Lily's boyfriend.

"This is as  _alone_  as you're going to get," Michael warned. He helped Lily sit down in a chair next to Dylan's bed. "I don't trust you. Lily would tell me everything that goes on in this room anyways." He pulled up a chair next to Lily's and sat down.

"Fine," Dylan grunted. "I just wanted to apologize, Lily... For everything."

"Why don't we go down that lane?" Lily asked. "What specifically? The kidnapping? Attempted rape? Selling me out to the Ghoulies and joining them until they turned on you?" Dylan looked down at his hands in shame. "Yeah, I heard about that," Lily continued. "But I also heard that  _you_  refused to give up the Serpents."

"Y-You heard about that?" He asked, almost embarrassed.

"No, I happened to guess," Lily sassed. "The hell d'you think? I was the one that convinced my dad and his crew to rescue you. Of course I heard!"

"Y-You... Convinced your dad? A-After I got you kidnapped?"

"I did it for the sake of the Serpents," Lily said. "If you'd sold them out and I'd known you were in that warehouse, I would never forgive myself. I didn't do it for  _you_. If they'd had their way and tased you to death, I might not have cared after you were the reason that I was taken from my bed and electrocuted for hours."

"Y-You don't realize what that electroshock is like until you get a taste of it, do you?" He asked, looking down at his slightly bruised hands.

"No," Lily replied. "You don't."

"How did you do it?" He asked, looking at Lily. 

"What?"

"How did you not give in? After being subjected to  _hours_  of that?" He asked.

"I suppose..." Lily began, looking at her own bruised hands, then looking up at Dylan, "I had something worth living for." Dylan paused and nodded. The three teenagers sat in silence for a minute.

"Look, Lily," Dylan said, breaking the silence. "I'll be apologizing for the rest of my life, but I'm sorry. I know it can't fix anything, but I truly regret everything that I've done to you this year... The car... Then again at the Wyrm after you got out of the hospital... But mostly for what I just did..." Dylan looked up at Lily. "I know that I'm asking a lot, trying to earn your forgiveness," He began,  tear running down his cheek, "I know that I don't deserve it... But I owe you my life. The  _Serpents_  owe you their lives. Another minute in there and the Ghoulies would have the Serpents in their grasp."

"You're lucky that I figured it out in time," Lily added. She paused. "I know that they took a chunk out of your butt because you told Penny..."

"Yeah...They did..." Dylan said.

"Why the  _hell_  would you get a  _gang tattoo_  on your buttcheek?" Lily chuckled.

"I was dared by the teen Serpents when I first joined, so I did it." He smiled. "Is yours-"

"It's fine," Lily replied quickly and sternly. Dylan nodded with a straight face. Lily stood up.

"It's going to take some time..." Lily said. "For things to be normal. I'm not sure my dad's friends are too happy with you..."

"They sit in here day and night to make sure that I don't go anywhere," Dylan said. "I get it. They're protective of you and with good reason. I would do the same if I were in their situation. I feel threatened trying to talk to them... Especially Fangs and Sweetpea..."

"I feel that," Michael interjected.

Lily stepped closer to Dylan and held out her hand.

"Truce?" She asked. Dylan stared at her extended hand for a moment, then shook it.

"Truce," he replied. They both let go, and Lily walked over to Michael.

"Let's go, I'm tired," Lily said. Michael stood up and opened the door for Lily. Before leaving the room she turned to Dylan.

"Remember," she said. "You owe me  _your life_."

"10-4," Dylan replied.

Lily walked out of the room. Sweetpea, Fangs, Jughead, and Betty were all watching in awe. Michael closed the door behind him and Lily.

"What?" Lily asked. "Never seen someone have a conversation before?" She reached out to Michael and took his hand. 

Michael and Lily walked back to her suite hand-in-hand, Lily passing through the hall in a sweatshirt too big, flannel pajama pants, and an S t-shirt.


	35. Huge

**-Back at the Ghoulie Warehoue-**

"AUGH!" Penny exclaimed. "I almost  _died_  and I  _still_  have to do everything by myself!" She tried to get up from her wheelchair, but the Ghoulies kept her sitting.

"Our doctor said to stay still while your wound heals," one Ghoulie said weakly. He didn't want to get smacked.

"Fine," she said, crossing her arms. "I hope you're working on getting the Jones girl and the Serpent kid. They're  _dead_  if we get our hands on them."

"He's already working on that," the Ghoulie replied.

"It might be better if he does it anyways," Penny said. "They think he's dead."

" _Him?_ " The Ghoulie asked. " _Dead?!_  That's a good one."

"Yeah, and they think the Jones girl killed him. That's what that kid Dylan said."

"Well she almost did, to be fair."

"No," Penny said. "Nobody kills Malachi. That teenager had a strong will, but Malachi is relentless when it comes to keeping his life."

"Malachi said drafting the plan would take a while, and that we should be patient. He's crafting something huge. I can feel it."

"Good," Penny replied. "We're going to need huge to take the Serpents once and for all."


	36. The Present? The Past? Is it Real at All?

**-At the Hospital-**

Lily bolted upright. 

"GAHHHH!" She exclaimed, running a hand through her dark, messy hair. She was shivering, even in Michael's over-sized hoodie. Jughead sat up slowly and tried to hold her shoulders. She impulsively shrugged his hands away.

Betty sat up from her place on the couch.

"What the hell?" Betty asked. Lily looked down at her trembling hands.

"What is it, Lily?" Jughead asked from behind her.

"Malachi is alive," she whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Betty asked. "He's dead."

"No," Lily said a little louder. "He's not. He's planning something to take over the Serpents."

"Do you realize what this sounds like, Lily?" Jughead asked.

"I know exactly what it sounds like," Lily said defensively. Betty and Jughead looked at each other, then looked at Lily again.

"I know what I saw and heard..." Lily added. Betty swung her legs over the side of the couch and looked confused at her daughter.

"Well..." Jughead began. "What  _did_  you see and hear?"

"It wasn't some sort of memory this time... It felt real, like it was happening in real time. Penny was alive, but injured and in a wheelchair. She was having a conversation with a Ghoulie... They're trying to take the Serpents. And they want to get a hold of Dylan and I... Penny said that we're dead if she gets our hands on us..."

"Why would Penny want Dylan?" Betty asked.

"He seems to be the reason that they don't know where Serpent Headquarters is," Lily mumbled. "And Penny wants to kill him for that betrayal."

The room was quiet. Maybe it wasn't the right time, but Lily decided to do something.

"And she probably wants me because I called her Cheshire Cat and a Hobgoblin," she chuckled. Jughead and Betty smiled and shook their heads.

"Yeah," Jughead said sarcastically. "It's totally not because of  _actual_ gang rivalries." They all laughed. It felt easier, even if for only that moment, when they were able to joke about the situation.

It was about three in the morning. None of them could sleep after what Lily said, so Betty sat on the foot of the bed in front of Lily and Jughead. It felt wrong to turn on the lights so early in the morning, so they decided on a lamp. They spent the time going through old baby pictures and videos. Jughead brought out some snacks that he and Lily devoured. She had his appetite.

"This one was my favorite," Betty said and showed Lily the picture.

     

"That was a good one," Jughead said. "Veronica and Archie  _squealed_  when we showed them."

"Really?" Lily asked.

"Everyone we showed it to thought it was the most precious child they'd ever seen," Betty said.

"That one's good, but I like this one better," Jughead said pulling up the next picture.

Betty and Lily laughed.

"Jug..." Betty smiled.

"Mom, look at your face!" Lily chuckled.

"I can one up that," Betty challenged, taking her phone out. "You'll like this one, Lils." Betty showed her daughter the phone.

"Is that-?" Lily began.

"That's me holding you," Betty said. "And your dad is holding Michael."

"As in  _Michael Keller_?!" Lily exclaimed.

"Yeah, I remember that," Jughead added. "Kevin took that picture. Right after it was taken, Michael was crying for Joaquin."

"That's right," Betty said. 

"I can do better than that..." Jughead said. "Here."

     

Lily couldn't contain herself.

"Oh... My God!" Lily said between deep breaths.

"That's the reaction you gave us when we did that," Betty added. "We once did that to you on a plane with Veronica and Archie, and Veronica wanted us to see ourselves the way that you were seeing us. It was hilarious."

"Why would you ever make those faces?" Lily asked and smiled.

"To get you to stop crying and laugh instead," Jughead said. "And it worked."

"Every time," Betty added. "I've got another one." It was a live photo.

"Fine, Betty," Jughead said, dropping his phone beside him. "You win." Betty smiled and looked at Lily. She was mesmerized.

"W-When was this?" She asked.

"We were on our way to the beach for your first birthday," Betty began. "Your grandmother Alice was driving, with your grandfather in the passenger seat. Jug and I were in the backseat with you. He said it was unfair that I got to sit next to you and he didn't, so I began to tease him by playing with you. He started taking pictures and recording. There's another one to go with this..."

"Betty, you're killing me over here with all the cuteness," Jughead said. Betty smiled and shook her head. Lily was smiling.

"You'd realized your father was taking pictures from the other side of the car," Betty said.

"Was I really that blonde?" Lily asked.

"I was afraid that you were going to be a blondie like your mom," Jughead said. "You had my dark hair when you were just born. Then it started growing out blonde, but it went back to dark eventually. I've got a cute one from the trip."

     

 

"Aww," Betty said. "I remember taking that one. You were looking at your father eating a burger." They all chuckled.

"That's precious," Jughead said. Lily smiled.

"Kevin was afraid that Michael was going to be blonde, too," Betty said. "He went on that beach trip, too, and brought Michael and Joaquin." Betty showed her another picture.

     

"I forgot about that," Jughead said. "You and Michael were best friends in elementary and preschool. I've got another picture from that trip." He showed Lily the phone.

     

Betty laughed and Lily smiled.

"I can't believe you still have that," Betty chuckled.

"Yeah, Joaquin took that," Jughead said. "You were on your mom's lap, Lily."

"Speaking of laps..." Betty said and pulled out another picture.

     

They all laughed.

"I remember taking that," Jughead said. "Joaquin came into the room and saw you two, and told Betty to get away from his man."

Betty laughed and Lily smiled.

"He would say that," Betty added. "I'm happy he didn't push me off of Kevin."

"I've got another," Jughead said.

     

"Oh, Juggie," Betty sighed.

"Wait, what is this from?" Lily asked.

"This was our wedding night," Jughead said. "Here's another."

     

"Juggie, you're hitting me with all of the emotions," Betty said. "And that was after the wedding was actually over. We changed before we went to the after-party."

"This one was from the actual ceremony," Betty said.

"Were those lilies in your bouquet?" Lily asked.

"Those are her favorite," Jughead said. He looked up at Betty. "That's why you're named Lily, actually..." Betty looked up at him. She had a tear running down her face, but she was smiling.

"Your dad named you after me, you know," Betty said. "Your middle name, anyways... He said that you had my eyes... And he brought me some lilies after you were born... and the name just...  _worked_..."

Lily looked up at Betty. She was still looking Jughead in the eye. Lily hugged Betty. She broke her gaze with Jughead and looked down at her daughter. Jughead moved closer to his wife and daughter, joining the embrace. Betty took an arm from Lily's back and held Jughead closer.

"I love you," Jughead whispered to Betty and kissed her cheek. Betty kissed his lips.

"I love you too, Juggie." Betty leaned her rested her head on Jughead's shoulder. He leaned his head on hers.

They fell asleep like that.

And Lily didn't have another nightmare that night.


	37. The Football Game

**-Flashback to when Lily was Seven Years Old-**

 "Lily, are you ready?" Betty called from downstairs. Lily looked up from the plastic switchblade she was fiddling with as she was sitting on her bed.

"Yeah, mom! Just a second!" Lily hollered back. She left the toy blade on her bed and scrambled to put on a pair of pastel yellow converse sneakers.

Before leaving her room, Lily grabbed the hat her dad finished making for her. It looked exactly like his, but it didn't have any pins in it. It was a charcoal grey beanie that had the bottom turned up and cut so that there was a resemblance of a crown. Lily pulled the hat onto her curly, dark hair and began to rummage around her closet.

"Have you seen my RHS hoodie?" Lily yelled through the open door of her pastel room.

"We've got it down here, Lils!" Jughead said.

"Thanks, dad!"

"Come on, Lils, we're going to be late!" Lily's dad replied.

"Coming!" Lily said as she brushed off her Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe t-shirt and ran down the stairs in her black jean shorts. After the last step, Lily arrived on the hardwood floors of the house's foyer. She looked to her right and saw her mom and dad, Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones. Betty was holding Lily's Riverdale High School hoodie in one hand and her husband with the other. Lily walked over to them.

"Good," Betty said. "We better get going if we want to get seats at Archie's first game."

"He'd be mad if we get there late," Jughead replied. Lily took her hoodie from her mom's hand.

"Thanks," Lily said. She threw the sweatshirt over her shoulders and pulled it down over her head and hat. She looked up at her father who picked her up easily. She sat on his forearm as Betty tucked one of Lily's dark curls behind her ear, then opened the door to reveal Fangs and Sweet Pea standing by Betty's car.

Betty and Jughead with Lily walked down the steps of the front of their house towards the car.

"What's up, Sweet Pea, Fangs?" Jughead asked. "I thought we were going to see you two at the game."

"Your dad's on stadium watch tonight," Sweet Pea said. "He asked us to come with you." Lily got excited to see two of her favorite Serpents and reached out to Fangs. Jughead handed her to him.

"Put her in the car, would you, Fangs?" Jug asked.

"Yeah, Jones, I got her," Fangs said. "Hey, Lils!"

"Fangs!" Lily exclaimed as she was handed to him. Fangs set Lily down in the middle seat and buckled her in, then stepped out of Betty's car and faced Jughead again.

"Did something happen in Serpent headquarters that my dad's worried about?" Jug whispered to Sweet Pea as Betty got in the driver's seat of her car.

"Penny got out of jail last night," Sweet Pea mumbled so that Betty and Lily wouldn't hear. "FP is calling for extra protection for you. We remember the last time you two had an encounter one on one, and we're not going to let that happen again."

"Is it too risky going to this game tonight?" Jughead asked them.

"Your father thinks it's worse if you stay in your house, because he said that we don't know if she knows where your house is," Fangs replied quietly. "Serpent Jackets are off-limits tonight. You might want to consider going without the hats tonight, Jones."

"She and the Ghoulies would recognize me immediately." Jughead took the beanie off of his head, and tried to flatten his dark hair to one side.

"I know it would pain her, but it would be better if Lily didn't wear her hat either," Sweet Pea said. "It looks the exact same as yours, Jones."

"Is that it?" Jughead asked.

"FP thinks that Penny is out and looking for Lily and Betty. To get back at you for throwing her in jail seven years ago."

"Lily doesn't even know about Penny," Jughead said. "She's too young. I wasn't even going to let her officially join until she's going to Riverdale High."

"Penny was thrown in jail right before Lily was born, and likely heard about her from one of the other gang members in the state penitentiary," Fangs said.

"Fine, I'll get the hat off of Lily's head. She just got it, so it might be hard. She already loves it. You two get in the car. We need to get to the game."

Fangs and Sweet Pea nodded. Fangs got in the seat behind Betty, and Sweet Pea followed Jughead around to the passenger side.

"Everything alright?" Betty asked. She noticed that Jug wasn't wearing his beanie.

"Yeah, let's go," Jughead said. He still had his hat in his hand. Jughead slipped it inside his sherpa and denim jacket.

As Betty began to drive, Jughead began to reflect on how the past seven years had been peaceful for the Southside Serpents. Penny's time in prison took place right before Betty gave birth to Lily. Jughead felt the need to move Betty into a secure location in Riverdale so that Penny wouldn't know where to look for the Serpent Queen. Betty gave birth to Lily a week after Penny was taken to prison.

Jughead turned around to face his daughter and he saw Fangs and Sweet Pea keeping her entertained in the backseat. The Serpents had been critical when Lily was growing up. They provided babysitting when Jug took Betty to a movie, on a date, during a Serpent meeting, and on many more occasions. Fangs and Sweet Pea were Lily's favorite male Serpents, and Toni and Cheryl were Lily's favorite female Serpents.

All four of them were doing Baby Watch when Toni ran to get Jughead and Betty from their date because Lily was taking her first steps in Serpent Headquarters. When they got there, Betty and Jug saw Lily walking towards them with Fangs spotting her. Behind him, Sweet Pea looked like he was going to explode from the baby overload, and Cheryl was taking a video of Lily. Jughead remembered this night as the best day of his life. There was no way in hell that Penny Peabody was going to take Betty and Lily out of his life, Jughead would make sure of that. But that also started with taking Lily's beanie.

Jughead turned around to the backseat again. "Hey, Fangs," Jug said. Fangs perked up, and Jughead motioned for him to come closer. Fangs leaned over the seat as Jughead whispered in his ear, "You and Sweet Pea try to get the beanie away from her quietly. I can't bring myself to do it." Fangs nodded and whispered to Sweet Pea. Jughead turned back around. Betty was looking at him, obviously confused.

"What was that about?" She chuckled, not thinking it was serious until Jughead whispered in her ear.

"The Snake Charmer was released."

" _WHATI?!_ " Betty yelled. Both Sweet Pea and Fangs did a facepalm as Betty slammed on the brakes at a red light. "Juggie, you should have told me! We would've stayed at home!" Lily looked concerned at her parents. Jughead leaned back into Betty's ear and whispered again.

"My dad thinks it's better if we go because she might be trying to be tracking us down. There's going to be Serpent Security tonight."

"They're always there," Betty said.

"There's going to be  _triple_ , Betts," Jughead replied softly.

"Alright," Betty said. "We're going." Jughead kissed her on the cheek, and Betty began driving again as the traffic light turned green.

Lily, still confused and squeezed into the backseat with two of her favorite Serpents, found herself trying to put the pieces together. She was absolutely sure that it was Serpent business. Lily knew that Grandpa FP wouldn't send Serpents to ride with them if something wasn't going to happen. Lily heard FP say that himself to her parents. She could tell that something was going to happen.

"Lils?" Sweet Pea asked. "You good, kid?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Lily stuttered.

"You're thinking too much," Fangs said. "We gotta get that Jughead hat off your head before you write a novel," Fangs laughed. He tried to snatch at Lily's hat, but she dodged his hand, laughing.

"I just got it, Fangs! I don't wanna take it off!" Lily giggled. Fangs and Sweet Pea looked at each other, then at Jughead. But Jughead hadn't turned around. Instead, he began to hold hands with Betty in the front seat. Betty glanced at Jughead, then looked back at the road.

A few minutes and unsuccessful attempts to take Lily's beanie later, and Betty pulled into the Riverdale High School parking lot. Sweet Pea unbuckled Lily and picked her up, pulling her out of the car. Fangs and Betty came around from the driver's side, and Sweet Pea handed Lily to Betty. Jughead got out of the car and saw Lily's hat still on her head as she was sitting in Betty's arms. Lily looked over at Jug.

"Daddy, where's your hat?" Lily asked. Sweet Pea and Fangs glanced at Jughead. He pulled the hat out of his jacket and pulled it over his head. Jughead smiled at his daughter.

"Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Jughead asked the two Serpents.

"Yeah, we'll catch you later, Jones," Sweet Pea said. He and Fangs began walking towards the stadium, joking with each other. Jughead and Betty glanced and smiled at each other as a blue Firebird drove through the parking lot and pulled into the spot next to Betty's car. The woman that stepped out was none other than Veronica Andrews, wife of Archie Andrews.

"Hey, Bee. What's up?" Veronica asked.

"Good to see you, Vee," Betty said as she handed Lily to Jughead, stepped over to Veronica, and hugged her.

"Hey, Jug. Hey, Lils."

"Auntie Vee!" Lily said. Jughead waved. Lily reached out, and Jughead handed her to Veronica.

"How's my favorite Bughead kiddo?" Veronica asked. Lily giggled. "I see you got a hat like your dad. I hope you don't go crazy writing a book like he did." They laughed. Veronica turned to Betty and Jughead. "Arthur wanted to be on the field with Archie tonight. He adores the football team." Betty and Jughead smiled.

"Vee, we should get going. We don't want to miss Archie's first game as the Bulldog football coach," Betty said.

"Naturally," Veronica replied as she gave Lily to Betty. Jughead came over and wrapped his arm around Betty as the family of three and Veronica made their way into the stadium.

Veronica, Jughead, and Betty with Lily made their way through the metal bleachers and found a good spot to sit. There were still twenty minutes until the game, so Betty and Veronica talked for most of the time that they were waiting. Betty handed Lily to Jughead, and she sat on his lap.

When the Riverdale High Bulldogs and Archie came out of the locker room with the River Vixens along with Cheryl Topaz.

The crowd was on its feet now, and Jughead put Lily on his shoulders. Lily held onto her dad's forehead, her legs dangled over Jug's shoulders and onto his chest. Cheryl spotted Lily in the crowd and waved eagerly at her, as Lily waved back.

"I didn't know that Cheryl was coaching the River Vixens," Veronica said.

"Yeah, they are. After Weatherbee retired, the new principal wanted an adult supervising the River Vixens. He called Cheryl to be the coach," Betty said.

"Is there still and HBIC?" Veronica asked.

"With Cheryl there as coach?" Betty joked. "Of course. How's the football team this year, Vee?"

"Arch says they're good but exhausting," Veronica said. "He's got a lot of faith in them. You'll never guess who the assistant coach is."

"Don't tell me it's Reggie Mantle ," Betty laughed.

"I'm surprised Reggie lowered his testosterone enough to accept the position when Archie offered it to him," Veronica chuckled.

"No way!"

"Yeah, I didn't believe at first either, Bee," Veronica said. "Here we go, they're about to kick it off!"

The Bulldogs kicked the football off to the Baxter High Ravens and the crowd went wild. Soon after the kickoff, Toni with her daughter, Cherie, found the four of them and started a conversation with Veronica. Betty went back to Jughead and Lily. She took a few pictures of Jug with Lily on his shoulders. When Jughead saw what she was doing, they took a few selfies, then Betty latched onto Jug's arm and leaned her head on the side of his shoulder. Veronica got a few pictures for the family of three for Betty before halftime.

The Riverdale High School Bulldogs beat the Baxter High Ravens 21-7 that night. By halftime, Lily asked to get off Jughead's shoulders and go to Betty before falling asleep in her mom's arms. Veronica got pictures of this too. Lily woke up right before the game was over.

At the end of the game, the Riverdale High bleachers cleared and rushed the field in props of the football team and Coach Andrews. Veronica led Betty, Jughead, Lily, Toni, and Cherie down to the field.

"Archiekins!" Veronica called across the field when she saw her husband. Archie let go of his son's hand and kissed her immediately. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thanks to all of the support in the stands, yeah," Archie chuckled.

"Well you didn't get much from Lily in the second half," Jughead smiled. "She was asleep in Betty's arms by halftime." Archie looked at Jughead, then looked down and saw Lily holding his hand, looking so much like him. Holding her other hand was Betty. She waved and smiled at Archie.

"Well if it isn't the Jones family," Archie said, his hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"Congrats on your first win,  _Coach Andrews_ ," Jughead joked. He let go of Lily's hand and stepped forward, hugging Archie. Betty picked up Lily as Jughead stepped back again. From the crowd around them, Cheryl with Cherie on her arm and Toni stepped into the circle followed by Sweet Pea and Fangs.

"Well, now that there are eleven of us," Veronica said. "Are you guys up for Pop's?"

"Yeah, that sounds great, Veronica," Cheryl said. The rest of them nodded in agreement.

"We'll meet you there," Betty said. "See you in ten minutes." She took Jughead's hand, and started walking towards the bleachers, Sweet Pea and Fangs following behind them.

The party of five made it back to Betty's car rather quickly, though everyone else was rushing the field. Veronica, Arthur, and Archie weren't far behind them. Cheryl, Toni, and Cherie had already pulled out of the parking lot and waved to Lily on their way.

"Sweet Pea, can you put Lily in the car?" Betty asked. Sweet Pea smiled and nodded. Lily reached out to Sweet Pea and he took her from Betty's arms. He picked her up and placed her on his shoulders, just as Jughead did earlier. She giggled and held onto his head. Betty and Jughead walked arm in arm with Fangs and Sweet Pea in front of them, their daughter giggling and sitting on Sweet Pea's shoulders.

"What did I do to deserve this life you've given me?" Betty asked Jughead.

"You were yourself," Jughead replied. "Because Betty Cooper deserved a better life than she had."

"But even after my dad-" Betty began.

"Betty," Jughead said and stopped walking. He put his hand on her shoulder. "You weren't defined by what your dad did. I knew that. All of our friends knew that. Hal Cooper is a terrible person. Lily doesn't know who her maternal grandfather is, and she doesn't need to. She has Cooper blood, yes. But neither you nor her should have to carry that burden. That's why I gave you my name, Betts. You both deserve better than to live in the Black Hood's shadow; to live in the torture that was the Cooper name."

They smiled at each other. Betty reached up and kissed Jughead on the cheek, then began walking towards the car where Fangs was holding Lily, who was giggling, next to Sweet Pea.

Jughead unlocked the car. Fangs put Lily in, then he and Sweet Pea sat down.

The ride to Pop's consisted of Sweet Pea and Fangs playing with Lily. There were many giggles as Betty and Jughead sat in the front seat, holding hands. When Betty parked, Sweet Pea took Lily out, and everyone else stepped out of the car. He held Lily's hand and led her to Jughead, who was waiting with Betty at the base of the steps into the building. Betty took one hand and Jughead took the other, the little family walking up the neon-lit stairs and pushing open the glass door, Sweet Pea and Fangs behind them.

Everyone else was already there and had a booth: Archie and Veronica with Arthur, and Cheryl and Toni with Cherie. Lily and Cherie were the same age, and were good friends. Arthur, however, was two years younger than both of them. It was dark outside, with only the neon glow of Pop's shining brighter than the moon inside and outside.

All five that just entered went over to the large booth and sat down. Lily was between Jughead and Betty, often sitting on her mother's lap. All eleven ordered.

"It's a good thing that you are the only ones here," Pop Tate said after they'd ordered their food. 

The night was filled with laughter and conversation. The table's order was so large that Lily took a nap on Jughead's shoulder while they waited for food. When their order finally came back, Lily woke up and was energetic. Veronica and Archie were a bit startled by Lily's appetite.

"She gets it from her dad," Betty told them. "She's an endless void of snacks and meals." The whole table heard her and laughed.

"Okay, but she doesn't quite eat like me yet," he added, pushing Lily's beanie down over her eyes as she finished her second burger. She pushed it back to where it was before and took the final bite. Jughead was right, though. He had just finished his fifth.

Toni looked out the window. A truck sped up, bright lights blazing. It stopped abruptly in front of the diner. A man hopped out quickly with a black leather jacket on. He ran inside and burst through the doors. His black hair was gelled back and he rushed over to the end of their booth.

"Dad?" Jughead asked. Lily looked up from the third burger that she was about to start.

"Grandpa?" she asked.

"Penny," FP said. "She's trying to find you."

"Me? Or all of us?" Jughead responded.

A tear slipped out of FP's eye as he said the next words. "All of you."

Just then, a pimped-out retro car pulled up. 

"Crap," Fangs said, dropping a fry on the floor.

"Mom?" Lily asked. Betty held her to her chest. Jughead climbed over Sweet Pea and looked out the door.

"Penny," Jughead muttered. He turned back to the booth. "Well, what are you doing?! HIDE!" 

Betty dove under the table, holding her daughter to her chest. Veronica grabbed Arthur's hand and ran into the bathroom with Archie. Toni picked up Cherie and dragged Cheryl behind Pop's counter. Jughead ran and slid under the booth, almost running into Betty and Lily. He watched as FP ran behind the jukebox.

Jughead looked back at his wife and daughter. Lily was clinging to Betty.

"I'm so sorry," Jughead whispered to Betty. He took off his beanie and jacket, covering Betty and Lily with the jacket and tucking his beanie into it. "I'm sorry, Lils, I have to." He snatched the beanie off of his daughter's dark, messy hair and shoved it into the other pocket of his jacket.

Jughead took Betty's face in his hands, making her look at him.

"I love you," he said. "I'm--"

"This isn't your fault, Juggie," Betty replied. "I love you too." They kissed each other's lips softly. She looked at the bottom of the table above them. There were instructions.

"Jug have you ever noticed..."

"Noticed what?"

"This lever right here... It's a trap door to Veronica's speak easy..."

"No way," Jughead replied.

"Yeah... This said that there's trap doors to it everywhere. If I just..."

"Betty, wait a min--"

She pulled the lever, and the tile under opened into a slide, pushing Betty and Lily down the slide. Jughead realized what happened and slid down after her, closing the door behind him. Then the Ghoulies came in.

The only thing running through, Jughead's mind in that moment was catching up to his wife and seven year old daughter. He was going fast, but couldn't help pushing himself along, trying to go faster.

Jughead landed on his stomach, on a pile of cushions.

"Oomph," he said, getting a face full of pillow. He felt himself being lifted from the cushions. Archie and Sweet Pea were dusting him off. He was surrounded by everyone. Fangs, Veronica with Arthur holding onto her, Toni, Cheryl with Cherie clinging to her leg, his dad...

"Where's Betty?" He asked urgently. The crowd parted for him to see Betty with her back to him, wearing his jacket, and a grey beanie just over Betty's shoulder. He pushed past the crowd. Betty turned around and grabbed his face, kissing him on the lips, Lily between them, crying into her mother's chest.

"Can I?" Jughead asked softly once they'd pulled away. Betty nodded. Jughead took Lily from Betty and held her to his chest. Lily held onto Jughead tightly, gripping his t-shirt with both hands. He began to shush his daughter and she gradually stopped crying. Lily fell asleep on his shoulder in a matter of minutes. They could hear the Ghoulies rummaging around upstairs.

"Where's Pop?" Jughead asked. Toni pointed to across the room where the bar was, Pop Tate standing right behind it, on the phone.

"Okay, what do we do now? How do we get out of here, Veronica?" Betty asked. She linked an arm with Jughead.

"There's an exit this way. The Ghoulies are going to find this place eventually. We've got to move quickly." Veronica motioned for the whole group to follow. They did. The group went through a passage and found a set of stairs that led to a set of doors at the top.

"Ground level," FP said behind Betty and Jughead. Sweet Pea stepped to the front and kicked the doors open, helping others out quickly. The Ghoulies were all in Pop's. They had to leave discreetly. Veronica, Archie, and Arthur left first in their blue Firebird, quiet as possible they sped down the road. Next went Cheryl, Toni, and Cherie in a bold red car. They left undetected. 

Betty took Jughead's hand as they made their way to the car with Lily, who'd woken up right before they stepped out of the cellar. Fangs, Sweet Pea, and FP were behind them. FP got to his truck, but refused to leave until his son did. 

Jughead gave Lily to Betty. They got in the backseat. Jughead took the driver's and Sweet Pea took the passenger, and Fangs was in the back with Lily and Betty. Lily refused to let go of her mother. Jughead cranked the car quietly and pulled out.

"THERE THEY ARE!" A Ghoulie yelled from inside Pop's. Jughead hit the gas. FP pulled out before his son and was gone.

"BETTY!" Jughead yelled from the driver's seat. "GET ON THE FLOOR!"

"Jughead--"

"DO IT!" He yelled again. Lily started to cry again as her mom made both of them get on the floor. Betty lulled Lily back to sleep. It was past midnight, and Lily could be put to sleep easily. 

From the floor, Betty could tell that they were being followed. She saw the headlights.

"Jug, we've got company!" Fangs said, his head turned to the back of the car.

"Damnit," Jughead muttered under his breath. A message came over a walkie talkie in the car.

"Father to Loner, over," the radio said. It was FP.

"Your call name is Loner?" Sweet Pea asked. Jughead rolled his eyes and picked up the radio.

"This is the Loner car, over," he replied.

"Are you being followed by the drug runners? Over," FP asked.

"Yes. Over," Jughead responded.

"Floor it to Thornhill. The cops are there, waiting to intercept the drug runners. Over," FP said. 

"What about the ones at Pop's? Over," Jughead asked.

"There's only six of them, Loner, they're all riding together. Just get over here. Over."

"10-4," Jughead replied, putting the radio down. He picked up speed. The Thornhill gates were wide open, with police lights on either side. Jughead sped through the gates and pulled up to the door, stopping abruptly. The gates to the mansion closed behind them, the police sirens blaring. 

Jughead jumped out of the car and helped Betty get out with Lily. He ushered them inside. Sweet Pea and Fangs shut the doors behind them. Veronica ran up to Betty, hugging her and Lily. Neither said a word. They let go, and Jughead walked up to Betty and Lily, enveloping them in his arms. Betty dug her face into Jughead's shoulder and began sobbing into him, Lily sandwiched between both of her parents.

Jughead took Betty and led her into one of Thornhill's many guest bedrooms, Lily in tow. When they entered the room, Jughead took Lily, who was still asleep, from Betty and laid her on the bed. He went back to his wife and embraced her, tears running down her face. Her arms slipped under Jughead's jacket, holding onto his torso.

"It's okay," Jughead said. "We're safe..." Betty nodded from inside Jughead's shoulder. He was holding the back of her neck caringly, with his other hand around her back. Betty had his arms around him. Jughead began to rock back and forth with Betty, calming her down.

"I've got you," Jughead said. "Everything's gonna be alright."

The door opened behind Betty. It was Archie.

"They caught them," he said. Jughead nodded. "Malachi and Penny too." Jughead nodded again.

_"They're still alive," Archie said._

_"Wh-What do you mean? Of course they are..." Jughead replied._

_"Lily didn't kill Malachi..." Archie said. "Cheryl didn't kill Penny with the arrow."_

_"What are you-?..." Jughead began._

_"This isn't really happening right now," Jughead concluded._

_"You're right. It isn't," Archie said, shaking his head. "And Penny and Malachi are alive._ _Lily was right."_

_CRASH_

**-The Present-**

Jughead startled awake from the embrace with Betty and Lily.


	38. Pain

**-In the hall outside Lily's hospital room-**

"I know it sounds insane--"

" _Yeah_  it does! Both of you! On the  _same_  night!" Betty exclaimed.

"I didn't quite believe it myself. I thought that I was just reliving that football game that the Ghoulies crashed nine years ago!" Jughead replied. "Something is going on, Betty."

He put his hands on her shoulders. She let out a sigh and looked into his grey eyes.

"The Ghoulies are planning something," he said calmly. She bit her lip nervously.

"You do believe me, don't you?" He asked.

"Jug, I don't know  _what_  to think," Betty replied. "It sounds  _insane_."

"I thought it was, too. Especially when Lily tried to explain hers," Jughead said. "But now, I can feel it in my bones that there is something going on with the Ghoulies. I'd need to talk to the Serpents, but I don't want to involve them this early."

Betty nodded.

"I know you probably need some time to think about this," said Jughead. Betty smirked. "Maybe I should go home, take a shower, and see how you feel about it when I come back... My hair is getting a bit greasy." Jughead ran his fingers through his hair. Betty smiled.

"Okay," Betty said. "I'll see you later." Jughead pulled Betty's face to his and kissed her on the lips. She wrapped her arms around his back, pulling Jughead closer to her. He pulled back and looked her in the eyes, smiling. Betty sighed and grinned.

"Bye," He said, stepping out of the embrace and walking down the hall. Jughead turned the corner and was out of sight. Betty was so taken aback that he didn't have enough time to say goodbye back to Jughead.

Instead, she said, " _God_  I love him." 

Betty stepped back into Lily's room and closed the door behind her. She was standing by the window, watching the street from the second floor of the hospital. Lily heard the click of the door and turned around to look at her mother. She had on her crown beanie that Michael had brought the day before, along with a pastel yellow Pop's t-shirt and a fresh pair of flannel pants.

"Where's dad?" Lily asked.

"He went home to take a shower," Betty replied.

"Is everything alright?" Lily asked. "Dad pulled you out of the room without an explanation to me..."

"Everything is fine," Betty said. "How are you feeling today? Better?" She walked towards her daughter and stopped a few feet from Lily. 

When she didn't get a response, she got worried.

"Lily?" she asked, concerned. Lily looked away from her and sighed. She slowly reached for the bottom edge of her shirt and took it off, wincing as it pulled away. Her sports bra under her shirt and her flannel pants were all that were protecting her from the cold of the room. The shirt fluttered to the floor and hit the tile noiselessly.

Betty saw what Lily was upset about.

Lily had bruising all down her sides. It was dark purple and in several spots. There were two on one shoulder and three on the other. There were several that meshed together on each of her sides. Lily had five on her stomach. One on the side of her arm, but none on her lower back. Lily's sports bra covered a few. Betty could tell that they were under the material because they poked out from underneath.

Betty looked at her daughter, stunned. She was looking out the window again, not showing her face.

"I... I..." Betty couldn't get the words out.

"I didn't know they were there," Lily whimpered. "Not until I changed into the shirt that Michael brought me." She began to shake. "They tortured me for information."

"I know..." Betty muttered. Lily whipped her head around. There were tears coming down her face.

"You don't know the half of it," she replied defensively. "I don't like talking about it because I hate reliving it. You don't know what it's like to wake up and not be able to breathe, mom."

"You're right I don't, but--"

"Where you have to realize that it's your mom whispering in your ear and not some Ghoulie trying to taunt you, and that you're in a bed and not tied to a metal chair in the middle of a warehouse. You have to see that it's your mom pulling you into her instead of ropes securing you to a chair. When you have to have someone next to you while you sleep because you're afraid that you're going to get snatched from your bed..." Lily paused. Betty stood there, watching.

"You have to realize that Penny isn't trying to intimidate you into selling out the Serpents.When you can't sleep, even with your boyfriend's arm around you and the smell of his hoodie right in front of your nose, but you see that damned warehouse each time you close your eyes. When every movement that you make hurts. When you can feel every bone in your legs as you walk down a hallway to see someone that you'd rather punch in the face..." Lily turned and faced the window again.

"I went to talk to Dylan, not to try to reconcile, but to see if I could get the visions of it out of my head. But that's not how trauma works, mom." She shook her head. "Not at all."

"I feel like I'm sleep walking sometimes... and I can't figure out how to wake up... And it's as if life is a dream... and sleeping is a way of escaping, but it's even worse...

"And sometimes I can't tell which is which... And when it gets bad, I wake up and everything hurts, and I can't breathe... and I can't think... and then I hear your or dad's voice or Michael's voice and I have to process that it's one of you three and not a Ghoulie before I can calm down and realize where I actually am.

"Half the time when I wake up I feel like a space shuttle that has just launched into space because I jolt awake and I can't stop the momentum... then I feel your arms pulling me back like gravity and I can breathe again... And there's--" Lily cut herself off.

"There's what?" Betty asked.

"Nevermind... Just forget it."

Tears were flowing down Betty's face. She hated seeing Lily like this.

"I-I'm sorry, Lily," she said.

"It's not your fault,mom," she sighed. "I chose to join the Serpents."

"Even if you weren't in the Serpents, you'd still be in danger, Lils," Betty sniffled.

"I know," Lily said. "That's why it's not your fault. It's Penny's. Because she's stayed in the shadows, away from the police. That doesn't fall on your shoulders."

Lily paused and looked at her hands. They were still bruised badly.

"I-I just feel so  _angry_...  _all the time_... at Penny, at Dylan, at the Ghoulies and.... What if, after everything that I've been through... something's gone wrong?" Lily whimpered. She was still shivering. "What if I end up hurting someone I care about while trying to protect myself? I-I don't want to hurt anyone!" Lily exclaimed while shaking her head back and forth.

Betty stepped forward and pulled Lily into her arms. She latched on immediately and cried into her shoulder. Betty waited until she was calmer before she tried to talk to her.

"Kiddo," she whispered. Lily stepped back, drying her eyes with the backs of her hands and looking at the floor. "Look at me," Betty said. "You're not going to hurt someone you care about."

"But what if--"

"No, you're not. You want to know how I know?" she asked. Lily nodded. "You're a good person who bad things have happened to. You're not a bad person. I know that you would never hurt anyone unless they deserved it... and you'd never hurt anyone that you love." Betty's eyes became watery. "Do you believe me?"

Lily didn't answer. She looked away.

"Lily?" she asked. Her eyes met her mother's as she sniffled. "Do you believe me?"

Lily paused and thought about it, then nodded. 

"Good," Betty replied, hugging her daughter again.

Betty rested her chin on her daughter's head and looked out the window. She could barely see the Whyte Wyrm in the distance.

 _There_ , Betty thought.

_I need to go there._

_It's time to get the Serpent women together._


	39. Marked

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I cried while writing this chapter. It was hard to write. A lot of these are hard for someone to write. There is a whole other level written into this chapter. I've stepped back multiple times just to compose myself while writing this.This can be even harder to read. This part of the story that I reference to is woven into previous events in the story, and you may need to go back to "I've got an Iron Will and Nothing to Lose" for a reference point.

**-Lily's POV-**

My mom stepped out of the room to call my dad after the conversation we just had. I was still staring out the window at the small town of Riverdale. I was about to pick up my shirt from the floor when I remembered something.

I left the pale yellow Pop's t-shirt on the tile and stood up straight. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I was about to see. I knew it was bad. I knew it was painful. I knew it could be permanent. 

I slowly pulled the waistband of my flannel pants away from my right hip. There was a slab of gauze. I could see that it had gotten nasty. 

Dr. Masters and I kept this to ourselves. I told him that I didn't want anyone knowing unless I told them. With doctor-patient confidentiality, he didn't say anything to my parents. I wasn't ready to talk about it yet. It was all coming back to me, even before I looked at it.

_"What should we do with her?!" Penny cackled. The room cheered. One Ghoulie came over the rest._

_"CARVE A CROWN INTO HER SERPENT TATTOO!" He screamed. Penny grinned at me. I was already weak from the hours of tasers and electroshocking. Ten minutes ago, she threatened to kill me because I hadn't given anything up. I slumped in the chair, as much as the bindings would allow. I was glaring at Penny, hoping that I would gain heat vision like Superman's. She sensed it and was attempting to make me feel worse._

_I was in the worst possible conditions. The warehouse was freezing... or maybe it was just me... I had no idea if anyone was on the way to find me, or if they even knew where I was. Dylan was nowhere to be seen. I didn't care though, the traitorous scum. The electroshock cables had been removed from my body, because Penny wanted to make a show of me for the Ghoulies. It was disgusting._

_"What do you think, boys?!" Penny asked. "Should I carve a crown into her tattoo?!"_

_There were cheers all around. It was deafening. My chin lowered so I was looking more towards the floor. I didn't want anything to happen to my tattoo. It was one of my prized possessions, mostly because my parents wouldn't allow me to get one until I was in high school and joined the Serpents by my own accord. I realized that I had no choice in where this was going._

_"Get her out of the chair then!" Penny screamed. Two Ghoulies held my biceps while a few others untied the ropes around my body. I didn't even fight it. My legs were released first. I shook them out, letting the blood flow to my bare toes. My torso was released next. I took a deep breath of air. The ropes had restricted me enough for a few hours. When my forearms were released, I clenched my fists, letting warm blood get through to the tips of my fingers. The two Ghoulies holding my biceps seemed surprised that I didn't try to run. I looked at the two college-aged men. They were confused because I wasn't struggling against them._

_"Throw her on the floor," Penny told them. They lifted me by the armpits and laid me down easily. The concrete floor was shocking. I winced audibly as my exposed limbs touched the frigid floor. I immediately felt a knee bearing down on my lower back and a hand pressing down my upper back. Penny crouched down to me. I had a scowl written across my face._

_"Where's the tattoo, princess?" She asked mockingly._

_"I don't know. Where's yours? That ditch in Greendale? Or did you try to get it reattached?" I asked sarcastically. There was suddenly more pressure on me and I felt my back pop._

_"Oof," I grunted._

_"Between you and me, it would be a lot easier if you just told me," Penny said. I sighed._

_"Would it really, though?" I asked. "You're just going to mutilate it."_

_"True..." she began. "But between us, my Ghoulies still know where you were staying. I could send them out to take out your mom and dad too... I was told that it wasn't actually the Jones house you were staying at... Andrews, I believe... These things can be arranged... To make a special visit? Would you like that?"_

_I lowered my eyebrows in anger. The scowl stayed planted on my face._

_"If I do this, you go nowhere near that house," I said. "You never go near there again. No matter what happens."_

_"I'm down with that," she agreed, grinning like Cheshire Cat._

_"Listen to me closely," I said. "Right hip."_

_"You're a stone cold bitch, Lily Jones," Penny added._

_"Get on with it already," I muttered._

_Penny moved down my body and pulled back my night shorts over my right hip. I heard cheering as she showed the Ghoulies my tattoo. I sighed._

As long as it keeps them safe, _I thought._

_I heard the click of a switchblade and then I felt it pierce into my skin. I screamed and my body tried to squirm away from the blade. I felt the warm red liquid drip down my side as she mockingly carved the shape of a crown into my skin. I screamed in anguish through the whole thing, warm tears escaping my eyes._

_"M-Mom..." I mumbled as I tried to call out to her. "D-Dad... Anybody..."_

_Penny stepped away from my hip to the cheers of the Ghoulies. I heard the switchblade close. A few Ghoulies took pictures of the finished product._

_"Hey, you two," Penny said to the Ghoulies holding me down. "We're not done with her yet, so get something on there so we can finish the interrogation. They both nodded. Penny and the rest of the Ghoulies left the room. It was only the two Ghoulies and I left._

_"You hold her down, and I'll go get the stuff," one said._

_"No way!" The other responded. "I don't want to be left here with her." He whispered the next part. "She intimidates me..."_

_"Come on dude," the first said again. "She's a teenager! She won't hurt you!"_

_"I don't know if I could," I sniffled. They both shut up. "I'm serious. I won't even struggle against you." I blinked away some tears. "P-Please just go get the medical kit before I bleed out."_

_The two Ghoulies didn't say another word to each other as one ran off._

_"Hey," the remaining Ghoulie said to me as we waited. "Why did you give up your tattoo?"_

_"I protected my family," I replied, a few tears hitting the concrete. "That's what I've been doing while I'm here."_

My mind flashed back to the present. I was looking down at the gauze on my hip that Dr. Masters had put on when I entered the hospital. It needed changing. I quickly picked up my shirt and threw it on my bed, walking to the bathroom, where Dr. Masters hid the gauze for me to use.

I closed the door behind me and pulled down my pants far enough to pull the large square of gauze off. It was taped to my hip. I pulled the tape off, wincing as it pulled on my skin. The bruising on my sides ended an inch above my hip. I could really tell once the gauze was off.

My tattoo was still there, but cut deeply in the shape of a crown. The cut was nasty, even with everything that Dr. Masters had done to it. The cut was centered on the tattoo, right across the middle of the Serpent logo. My skin was still somewhat raw and very tender. 

Michael had tried to put his hand on my right hip the day before, but I immediately moved it to higher up on my side. Dylan tried to ask about my tattoo that same day, but I shut him up before he got too far.

I told him it was fine.

It wasn't fine.

The cut would scar eventually, but for now...

I was marked.

After disinfecting the cut, I changed the gauze and taped it down onto my hip.

"Lily?" My mom called from outside the bathroom door.

"I'm just going to the bathroom, mom!" I called back.

I wasn't ready for her to know yet. No one was ready to know yet. I pulled up my pajama pants and left the bathroom. My mom was holding my shirt in her hand.

"Aren't you going to put it back on?" She asked.

"I was waiting for your help," I replied. My mom helped me back into my Pop's shirt and I tugged it down to make sure that the gauze was covered.

She wasn't ready to know.


	40. Discharges and Arguments

**-Lily's POV-**

"Hey, Lily," my mom said as I brushed off my Pop's t-shirt.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking up. She had a paper in one hand and her phone in the other.

"Dr. Masters came by while I was outside and gave me your discharge papers..." she said.

"Really?" I asked. My mom nodded.

"I was about to get Michael to come over and sit with you while I handled some Serpent business, but after I got the discharge papers, I told him to wait for us at the Wyrm. Wanna go see some friends?" My mom asked me.

"W-Wow..." I said. This was a lot of information at once. "Sure," I decided.

"Great!" My mom exclaimed and smiled at me. I couldn't help but to smile back. "I know that Michael brought more than just pajama pants... if you want to put on a pair of shorts that I asked him to bring for you...?"

"Uhh..." I said, thinking it over. "Are they in there?" My mom went and checked the bag.

"Yeah, one pair of American Eagle black jean shorts." She held them up.

"Alright, I'll put those on," I said, taking the shorts.

"D'you need help?" she asked. I remembered my tattoo.

"N-No, I'll j-just change in the bathroom..." I said, scurrying in and shutting the door behind me. I exhaled deeply. 

"That was close," I whispered to myself. I carefully pulled down my pajama pants. They fell around my ankles and I stepped out of them. I took a deep breath when I saw my legs. My ankles were bruised and scratched up. I could see the gauze sticking out from the right side of my hip. I was wondering if it was going to show under the shorts.

I stepped into the black shorts and pulled them around my waist, zipping them up, and buttoning them. I looked in the mirror. I could barely tell that the gauze was there. I let out a sigh of relief and picked up the pajama pants from the floor and pulled down on my shirt once more. 

I ran my fingers through my hair as I left the bathroom. My mom was holding the bag and I set the pajama pants inside. I picked up the pair of black socks and my black Converse high tops. I put both on and tied the white laces while sitting in a chair. My mom picked up anything of ours that wasn't already in the bag. I sat back in the chair when I was done and smiled. My mom smiled back.

"Ready?" She asked. 

"Definitely," I replied. 

My mom helped me stand and held the door for me as we left the room. She closed the door behind us and we began walking out. We went down the stairs and out of the main lobby. When we got outside, it felt nice to smell anything other than the hospital. We walked over to the car. My mom was looking around for something.

"Mom," I said. Her head bolted towards me. "You good?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here," she said, finally unlocking the door. I got in the passenger seat next to her. She pulled out of the space and we left the hospital, riding towards the Wyrm. We rode over the bridge that separated the North and South sides of town, and later turned into the Whyte Wyrm parking lot. My mom parked the car, and we stepped out, walking into the bar.

We opened the doors in front of us and walked in. There were very few people inside. I noticed that Cheryl, Toni, Veronica, and my grandmother were all standing to one side of the room, looking like they were avoiding something. Michael was sitting on a bar stool on the other side of the room with a glass of water in front of him. He turned around when we came in.

"Lily!" He exclaimed and smiled.

"Hey, Mikey," I replied. I walked over to him and he stood up and hugged me. I stepped out of the embrace. 

"You look happy," he said. 

"Well yeah, I just got out of the hospital!" I chuckled. He laughed with me.

"Actually, I need to talk to you about something," he said. 

"What is it?" I asked. 

"It's better if we go to your dad's study..." he said. My mom interrupted our train of thought.

"Lily, I'm taking these four with me! I'll be back later!" she said from the door.

"See ya!" I replied. I looked back at Michael. "We can totally go to my dad's study," I replied. he smiled.

"Great," he added. Michael took my hand in his and led me up the stairs into my dad's office. He held the door as I stepped into the room and shut it behind us.

"So..." I began, starting to get nervous. "What's up?"

"Well... I've been thinking about this for a while..." he began.

"Oh no... You're not breaking up with me, are you?" I asked nervously.

"No, not at all, Lily," Michael said and smiled. I let out a sigh. "I don't really know how to say this, though..."

"What is it?" I asked, trying to coax the answer out of him.

"Your dad has asked... on more than one occasion... for me to um... join... t-the Serpents..."

There was a pause.

"Wow," I answered. I was stunned. "I wasn't expecting that."

"And this time," he continued, "I've decided to join and do the initiation..."

" _WHAT?!_ " I yelled.

"L-Lily, calm dow--"

"NO! You're not joining the Serpents!" I screamed.

"Let's be reasonable here--"

"You're not joining! No! I won't allow it!" I yelled.

"Why not?" He asked. "Your dad wanted me in so that I could protect you!"

"Really?" I asked. Michael nodded.

"You know what... NO! Michael, I won't let you join. No way!"

"B-But, Lily--" he tried to say.

"You're not joining!" I insisted.

"I need to!" He argued.

"Nobody  _needs_  to join a gang!" I screamed. "It's not as fun as people make it look, Michael!"

"I never said it was fun--" He began to say.

"I won't let you do the initiation!" I yelled at him.

"Lily! I need to be in here so that I can protect you!"

"No! I won't allow it!" I yelled.

"WHY NOT?!" He raised his voice at me. Michael never raised his voice at anyone.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU GET HURT FOR ME!"

"LILY, YOU'RE GETTING HURT NOW AND I HATE SEEING IT!"

"MICHAEL, I WON'T LET YOU DIE FOR ME!" I cried. There were tears pouring out of my eyes as I was looking into Michael's crystal blue eyes. He tried to step forwards to comfort me, but I was too mad at him and stepped back. He stepped back too. We didn't say a word to each other.

There was a long pause. We stood in the silence, looking at each other. It felt like an eternity. I checked my watch and saw that it had been half an hour since either of us had said something.

"I--" Michael began.

"No," I said firmly. "You're not."

From downstairs I heard people struggling against one another. Michael heard it too and we both looked at the door. We looked back at each other.

"We'll talk about this later, Michael," I said, growing tired of being left in suspense of the noise downstairs and threw the door open, standing on the landing in front of the office.

My mom, Veronica, Cheryl, Toni, and my grandmother were all forcing someone into a chair. They tied their arms, legs, and torso down to the metal chair. There was a bag over their head, and I couldn't quite tell who was under it. I sensed Michael step behind me. Eager to avoid the conversation we'd been having, I bolted down the stairs.

"Mom, what is going on?!" I asked over Toni, Cheryl, and my grandmother tying the ropes to make knots. My mom and Veronica were watching. They both turned around when they heard my question.

"Hey, Lily, how are you doing?" Veronica asked me.

"I'd be doing better if I knew who my mom and godmothers just  _kidnapped_..." I stood there and crossed my arms, waiting for an answer. My mom sighed and looked at me.

"You'll thank us later, Lils," she sighed. 

"Who is that?!" I asked. My mom raised her eyebrows. I gasped.

"MOM!" I exclaimed. "YOU DIDN'T!" I screamed in outrage.

"Oh, but we did," she replied. "Cheryl!" She yelled. Cheryl looked up. The person in the chair was secured now.

"Show Lily our honored guest!" My mom shouted. Cheryl gave her a thumbs-up and took the bag off of the person's head.

It revealed a mess of blonde hair and a weathered face. She had dark circles around her crazed eyes and looked up at me with a grimace that I could tell used to be a grin. A grin as large as Cheshire Cat's.

My jaw dropped and I was glued to the spot. Those were the eyes that screwed with my dreams, that ruined my life. I shook my head.

"No..." I muttered. I heard Michael gasp from the bottom of the stairs.

"Lily, is that--?"

"Penny Peabody..." I muttered.


	41. The Crown-Shaped Cut

**-Lily's POV-**

My shoulders tensed up and my arms were stuck to my sides. Tears rolled down my face as my heart raced. 

I couldn't believe it...

"W-Why?" I squeaked out. My mom tried to comfort me, but I stepped back.

"Lily..."

"M-Mom... why would you do this?" I whispered. "After all of the night terrors and cold sweating and panic attacks..." I said louder. 

I could sense Michael beginning to walk towards me. I knew that he didn't know about the dreams and panic attacks because I refused to tell him.

"This is going to end today, Lily. All of it," My mom said. "Because I am fed up with her messing with us. And the Serpents are tired of it too."

"Does dad know you're doing this?" I asked.

"No," she replied. "He would never let me go through with it. Which is why I did it myself."

"Mom, this is insane!" I exclaimed.

"This is also your chance to give her a piece of your mind, Lily," Veronica added. "This is a chance for  _all_  of us to give her a piece of our minds." I paused.

"You brought her here... for me?" I asked.

Cheryl, Veronica, and Toni nodded.

"Oh my god," I gasped. I looked at my mom. She motioned towards Penny in the chair.

"L-Lily," Michael stuttered. I ignored him and walked up to Penny. He tried to grab my hand, but I was out of his reach. I stood right in front of her. Her mouth wasn't restrained. I just stared at her for a minute, and she looked at me.

"Well, if it isn't the Serpent Prin--"

I slapped her without hesitation. Her face went to the left. After a moment, she looked back at me. I was standing strong, my head held up, my heart racing slightly. I didn't say a word to her. Words weren't required. She tried to ask me something but I cut her off.

"I'm not the reason you're here," I said. "I'd hoped that I'd never have to see you again." I paused. "But I always wanted to give you a taste of your own medicine." I looked down at my hand. It was a little red from slapping her face.

Penny tried to say something else, but I cut her off again.

"I know that Malachi is alive," I said. She was taken aback. I looked at her in shock.

"So it's true?" I asked.

"How would you know?" She asked.

"I had a dream about it," I replied. "You and Malachi were planning something...  _huge_." I'd used her own wording. She was surprised that I knew.

"So," I continued. "What is he planning?"

"You think I'm gonna tell you, kid?" She asked me.

"I'M ASKING THE DAMN QUESTIONS AROUND HERE!" I replied, punching her where she was hit with Cheryl's arrow.

"AUUUUGH!" She groaned.

"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!" I spat in her face. She tried to sit up and shove her body towards my right hip. I stepped back, facing my tattoo away from her.

"We've both... got wounds... Princess," Penny panted. I grimaced at her. "I'd show you where mine is, but you seem to know where it is. Let's see yours..."

"What is she talking about, Lily?" I heard my mom ask from behind me. I didn't turn around. I got my switchblade from my pocket. It clicked open.

"Lily..." Michael tried to say from behind me. I ignored him. I stepped forward and held the blade in front of Penny's face. I moved it up and made a cut from her temple to the corner of her mouth. Michael ran up behind me and pulled me away by my waist. He only got so far before I yelped loudly and broke away. He skidded away and we looked at each other.

Tears were coming out of my eyes and I was holding onto my right hip lightly.

"L-Lily," He stuttered.

"Stay out of it," I replied angrily. I limped over to Penny. My hip was still sore from the cut that was made in it.

"I see," Penny said. "They don't know."

"Shut up," I said. A tear hit the floor.

"You haven't told them everything," She replied, taunting me.

"I said shut up," I growled.

"I never expected you to lie to your mom about your tat--"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I screamed. Everything happened so fast that I didn't even remember throwing the blade into Penny's shoulder. It was there, spot on. Only the handle was showing. The whole blade was stuck into her shoulder. She tried to move her shoulder, but the blade must have been stuck into the back of the chair.

I gasped and realized what I'd done. My heart rate increased. I heard several gasps from behind me. Time moved slower in those few seconds. The doors behind me were kicked open. I was grabbed around the torso and waist by someone with strong arms. I screamed in pain and felt the wound on my hip open. I shut my eyes and let myself be lifted away from Penny. I felt hot tears rolling down my cheeks and blood trickling down my leg. I didn't open my eyes until I was thrown onto a couch.

I opened my eyes and saw my dad. He was breathing heavily and standing over me. We were in my dad's study. My mom barged in right after. I was crying audibly and holding onto my right hip. Blood was soaking through my shorts and onto my hand.

They rolled me over so that they could reach my hip and forced my shorts down after getting the medical kit. I cried through the whole thing. My parents gasped when they saw the cut on top of my tattoo.

"I-I'm sorry!" I cried. They didn't reply, but looked at each other and tended to my hip. The bleeding stopped and they put on a set of clean gauze. My dad and my mom didn't say anything as they helped me sit up after they were done.

I groaned when they swung my legs so that I was properly sitting on the couch. My dad went into the mini fridge in his study and took out a Coke and an untouched ham and cheese sandwich in a bag. He handed them to me.

"B-But that's y-your lunch," I stuttered.

"I don't care," He said, forcing both into my hand. "Eat. Then you're going to tell us how this happened."

I nodded, taking a bite out of the sandwich. We sat in the silence as I ate. My dad sat next to me on the couch as my mom sat at his desk. 

Once I finished, my mom took a chair and sat in front of me.

"So," I said weakly. I explained how I had given up my tattoo so that Penny wouldn't go to Thornhill and hurt them and the Andrews' and told them that Penny carved a crown in my side to mock me and my dad because of the crown beanies that we always wore.

"You had nothing to apologize for, Lily," My dad said when I was done. "You protected us, and though you had no way of knowing, we left Thornhill right after you were taken."

"They could have burned down Thornhill or worse," I replied. "I was protecting all four of you... And... I'm sorry for not telling you about the cut... and for getting carried away..."

"Don't be," My mom replied quickly. "I'll be right back." She stood and left the room, shutting the door behind me.

"Stay here," my dad said. I nodded. He left the study, too. He'd only been gone a minute before there was a knock.

"Come in," I sighed. It was Michael. He peeked his head in and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"Your dad told me everything..." He said. I was still mad at him from wanting to join the Serpents. " _Everything_  everything... the nightmares... the panic attacks... t-the cut..."

"What  _didn't_  he tell you?" I added.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner about my dad wanting you to join the Serpents?"

"I only really considered it after Dylan's rescue when he asked me again."

There was a long pause when we didn't way anything to each other.

"Do you still want in?" I asked him.

"I want to be here to protect you. I--"

I held my hand up.

"Stop," I said. "I can't allow that."

"Lily, this is cra--"

"No."

"But--"

"Stop." He did. "I can't let you do that."

I paused and sighed. I didn't want to do this, but it was the only way.

"You're not joining the Serpents," I said. "Go home."

"Lily--"

"Go home, Michael...  _We're done_."

I hated saying that to him.

"You're not serious..." He said. I nodded. "Lily--"

"Go... Home..." I whimpered. Tears brimmed at my eyelids. I hated this so much, but I was doing it to protect him. He took a deep breath and turned around, opening the door, and walking out. He shut it behind him and I heard his feet hitting the stairs.

I sat there, sobbing. I couldn't stop. My mom came in a few minutes later. 

"Lily..." She whispered and walked over to me, holding onto my shoulders. Michael must have told her. I didn't stop crying.

"Let's go home, kiddo," she said. I nodded through the tears. She helped me stand and brushed the tears off of my cheeks before we left my dad's study. We walked down the stairs slowly, my mom holding onto my arm. I saw Michael saying something to my dad. He saw me, said something else to my dad, and left silently. We kept going, exiting the bar, and my mom sat me in the passenger seat of the car.

"W-What about dad?" I stuttered as my mom buckled her seat belt.

"He's got his bike." I looked around for Michael's car, but he was long gone. My mom started the car and we pulled out, headed for our house.


	42. Betty's Advice

**-Michael's POV-**

I couldn't believe it.

That just happened.

I shut the door to Jughead's study and walked down the worn wooden stairs somberly. My head hung down. Mrs. Jones approached me. Tears were reaching my cheeks.

"Michael?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"Uh... L-Lily just broke up with me... I don't really want t-to talk about it... I'm g-gonna go home..."

Betty didn't know what to say to me, but I heard her running up the stairs. I walked over to Jughead.

"Hey, Michael. D'you need something?" He asked when I approached him.

"Uh, yeah... Listen... I can't join the Serpents, Mr. Jones..." I sighed.

"Oh... Is there anything I can do?" He asked. The door to his study opened and I saw Betty supporting Lily at the top. Lily and I locked eyes for a moment. I turned back to Jughead.

"I don't think so... But thanks," I replied, walking out to my car. I could feel Lily watching me as I left and I could tell that part of her didn't want me to go, but I kept walking.

I unlocked my car and sat there for a minute, wiping the tears from my face before I put the key in the ignition. I took a deep breath and turned on the car, pulling out of the parking lot and riding down the road. 

Lily kept popping into my mind, my hands eager to spin the wheel around and go get her.

 _No_ , I told myself.  _She broke up with me. She chose to do this to me._  Tears started flowing again and I pulled over on the side of the road to compose myself. I sat there for what felt like an eternity, just sobbing into my hands. I could've sworn that I saw the Jones car go by, but I wasn't sure. 

Once I'd calmed down, I got back on the road. The rest of the drive was easier. I pulled into the driveway of my house and turned off the car, unlocking the door and shutting it harshly.

"Michael, is that you?" I heard Joaquin ask.

"Yeah, dad!" I replied, sniffling. "I'm just gonna go to my room!"

"Okay, son!" He replied. I walked up the stairs slowly and shut the door behind me. I sighed and leaned against the door, sliding down into a ball, sobbing into my knees. I looked at my phone. No notifications. I saw my wallpaper and cried. It was Lily.

     

She had a matching one of me making this face. My heart was torn in two and I cried on the floor.

**-3rd Person POV-**

Little did Michael know, Lily was doing the exact same thing in her room.

Lily had told her mom that she was going to be okay, but when she asked what happened, Lily didn't answer. She simply said, "I don't want to talk about it." Betty didn't push any further. 

This was Lily's first time back in her own house. She looked up at her bed, expecting to see Michael about to pick her up off of the floor and hug her. He wasn't there.

Lily looked at her phone. There were no notifications. She cried when she saw her wallpaper. It was Michael making a funny face. She knew that Michael had a matching one of her on his phone.

_I did it to protect him_ , Lily sobbed to herself.  _He's better off this way._

She didn't leave that spot for two hours. When she did, Lily hopped into the shower and washed herself off, careful to keep her wounded tattoo out of the pouring water. 

It was too quiet for her with just the pattering of the water on the shower floor. Memories were coming back to her of the time she showered with Michael...

_"Well I can tell you that Dr. Masters is a buzzkill," Michael chuckled. Lily stifled a giggle._

When Lily remembered where she was, she dropped the sponge she was using and leaned against the shower, letting herself sink to the floor. Lily held her legs to her chest and buried her face into her knees. She sobbed as she let the warm water wash over her.

"Mikey..." Lily cried. "I'm so sorry..."

She was so angry at herself for letting it go so far, but she didn't know what else to do.

When she'd had enough of it, Lily got up and turned off the water, wrapping herself in a towel and leaving her bathroom. Lily changed her gauze and put on a new pair of shorts and a charcoal t-shirt. She put up her hair in a ponytail, went downstairs, and sat on the couch next to her mom, leaning her head on her shoulder.

Betty didn't ask any questions but one.

"Lily, are you feeling alright?" She asked.

"I don't know... why?" Lily replied, sniffling.

"Uh... well... you're kind of... wearing one of Michael's t-shirts..." Betty said.

Lily did a facepalm.

"Uuuuuugh..." She growled. Lily got up, went in her room, and put on a plain sea foam green t-shirt. She went back downstairs. When she hit the bottom, Betty spoke up.

"I hate to tell you, but that's also one of Michael's t-shirts..."

"WHAT GUY WEARS SEA FOAM GREEN?!" Lily exclaimed.

"Okay, if you have too many of his t-shirts to the point where you can no longer tell if it's yours or his, you might as well go and steal an S t-shirt from your father," Betty chuckled.

"Alright," Lily groaned. This was getting embarrassing. She walked up the stairs again and threw Michael's t-shirt in her room, then walked into her parents' room and grabbed one of Jughead's t-shirts, throwing it on and walking out of the room. She walked down the stairs and Betty smiled when she saw Lily.

"That's the one Jughead loaned to Michael for a day," Betty joked.

"MOM!" Lily yelled.

"Kidding!" Betty laughed. "None of those were Michael's shirts, I was just joking." Lily smiled and shook her head as she sat down next to her mom.

"Just trying to cheer you up, kiddo," Betty said, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"Thanks," Lily replied.

"Are you ready to talk about it?" She asked.

"I guess," Lily replied.

"Okay, I was really surprised that it happened because you two always seemed... I don't know...  _unbreakable_  in a sense... So... What did he do?" Betty asked caringly. Lily paused before answering.

"Dad wanted him to join the Serpents so that he could protect me and he wanted to join for the same reason... but I didn't want him to get hurt, and he wouldn't give it up... so I ended it..." Lily said.

"Ugh... Lily," Betty said, shaking her head. She chuckled lightly.

"What?" Lily asked defensively.

"Nothing... It's just... You sound  _so much_  like your father right now." Betty laughed again.

"How?" Lily asked.

"Your dad did the same thing to me when we were sixteen," She said.

" _What?!_ "Lily asked.

"Yeah. He did. For the same reasons too."

"You wanted to be part of the Serpents and he broke up with you to protect you?" Lily asked.

"Yeah."

"Wow," Lily sighed. "But you got back together?" Betty sighed and looked at her daughter.

"To be honest, it hurt him more than helped him..." she said.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked.

"He was trying to protect me from Penny," Betty explained. "And all of her drug schemes. He broke up with me... and the next week, your father cut off Penny's Serpent tattoo. He got in a lot of trouble for that because he broke Serpent Law, but he was trying to protect not only me, but the rest of the Serpents from joining the drug trade."

"After that, Penny defected to the Ghoulies..." Lily realized.

"Yes..." Betty replied.

"That's where the trouble between the Ghoulies and the Serpents started... isn't it?" Lily asked.

"Yes..." Betty said. "Your father later asked me to be the Serpent Queen after your grandfather retired from the Serpents."

"So..." Lily began, "Dad pushed you away from the Serpents, then let you in?"

"Yes."

"B-But didn't he care that you could get hurt?"

"Oh he still cared plenty," Betty replied. "But he also cared because I kept him grounded. He was less prone to do idiotic things when I was with him."

Lily thought about earlier that day when she pushed Michael away before she confronted Penny... and how she ended up throwing a switchblade into Penny's shoulder, not only because Penny irritated her, but because Michael wasn't up there to keep her from doing something she'd regret.

"Hey, mom?" Lily asked.

"What's up?" Betty responded.

"Is Penny still alive?" She asked.

"... Yes."

"Why did you pause?"

"Kiddo..." Betty said, getting up and looking Lily in the eyes. "We can't let her go now."

"So she's alive..." Lily began, "... but only for now?"

"Yeah... and your dad's going to be the one to do it."

"Malachi's still out there..." Lily said.

"I told your dad that Penny confirmed it. Measures have been taken to ensure our safety. The Ghoulies are soon to crumble."

"What should I do about Michael?" Lily asked.

"Just step back for a moment and consider it. If you balance each other out, it would be good for you to get back together. Don't act on it yet, but think about it," Betty said. "Just realize that just because you're broken up, doesn't mean he doesn't still care about you and he could join the Serpents on his own without you to stop him this time."

" _Oh my god!_ " Lily exclaimed. "I didn't think about that!" She jumped up.

"Wait," Betty said, pulling Lily back onto her spot on the couch. "Getting back together with him would give him a direct reason to join. It's probably going to be inevitable, but you could stall his knowledge of this by being apart from him."

"Okay," Lily said. "I'll think about it. Thanks."

"Any time," Betty replied. Lily got up and went into her room.

Lily knew she needed Michael back, but she didn't know if she wanted him back.

She needed him to keep her grounded, but she didn't want him to get hurt.

When she realized this, she groaned in frustration and fell down on her bed, falling asleep.


	43. The Letter

Michael and Lily didn't leave their respective rooms for the next five days. Lucky for them, it was spring break for Riverdale High.

Kevin and Joaquin didn't know what was going on until Betty called Kevin, explaining the whole thing. Once they knew what was happening, they tried to get Michael to open the door, but he wouldn't.

Lily would only open the door for her mom bringing food, ibuprofen, and gauze for Lily's crown wound. Every time Betty saw her daughter, Lily was face down into her pillow and there were tissues scattered all around. She'd leave a note for Lily to read, both parents pleading with her to come out of the room. Betty and Jughead would have enjoyed all of this alone time more if they weren't worrying about Lily. They were slightly relieved when Lily wrote back one day, thanking them for taking care of her.

There was one day where Sweetpea and Fangs came to visit Lily, hearing about her situation, but Lily refused to come out. Toni, Cheryl, and Cherie visited the next day, and Lily let them in her room. When they came back out, Betty and Jughead asked what they talked about and if Lily was okay.

"She's going to be alright, but you should hear everything from her when she's ready," Toni replied. Jughead slung his arm around Betty's shoulders and pulled her into an embrace as the Topazes left.

The same thing happened when the Andrews' came over, but Lily only let Veronica in. When Jughead and Betty asked what they talked about, Veronica gave the same response.

"You should hear everything from her when she's ready," Veronica said.

This sequence was repeated with Lily's grandparents. FP refused to disclose what they discussed and scolded Jughead when he asked ("BOY YOU'VE GOT SOME NERVE--"). Alice had a different response.

"She's fragile," Alice said. "And hurting... not only physically. She's hurt herself and blames herself for it."

"Mom! Is she--?!" Betty began.

"She's not harming herself, no. She said that she'd never be able to bring herself to that," Alice replied. "She's hurt herself by pushing Michael away. I went to visit Kevin and Joaquin yesterday, Michael hasn't let  _anyone_  in. The Kellers are worried. Even his grandfather, who Michael adores, couldn't manage to get him out of his room."

The next day, Betty brought Lily her food and gauze, along with a note that said they were going to the Keller house and that Michael wasn't coming out of his room. On their way out the door, Lily burst out of her room.

"Mom, wait!" Lily yelled, running down the stairs.

"Lily?" Jughead and Betty asked in unison. Lily ran and held her parents in a tight embrace.

"Are you coming with us?" Jughead asked. Lily shook her head.

"J-Just give him this for me..." Lily said, handing her father the note.

"Okay," Jughead replied. Lily turned around and ran back into her room, shutting the door. Jughead and Betty looked at each other and shrugged, closing the front door behind them and getting into the car. 

The ride to the Keller house was short and quiet. They pulled into the driveway, parked, and stepped out, walking to the front door. Betty only knocked twice before Kevin threw the door open.

"Betty? Jughead?" Kevin asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Well... We're here to see Michael, actually," Betty replied. "My mom came by yesterday and said he wasn't letting anyone in..."

"He hasn't eaten in a while, actually... For the last five days since he came home..." Kevin added.

"Okay, now we really need to see him," Jughead said.

"Come on in," Kevin said. Jughead and Betty stepped inside. Kevin led them up the stairs to where Joaquin was sitting, right next to the door.

"Joaquin," Jughead said. "Are you alright?"

"I'd be better if my son would let me in to see him," Joaquin said.

"Lily hasn't really opened up to us either," Betty added.

"Really?" Joaquin asked.

"Yeah, she only just left her room to give us this note for Michael..." Jughead said, pulling out the letter with the neat script reading "Michael Keller".

"H-He might let you in with that," Kevin stuttered and knocked on the door. There was a grunt, acknowledging the knock.

"Hey, bud, there's someone here to see you!" Kevin said into the crack of the door. There was no response.

"They can tell when their parents back away from the door..." Betty whispered. Joaquin stood and held hands with Kevin, taking a few steps back.

"Michael?" Jughead asked. "Can we talk?" One could hear rapid footsteps approaching the door, and the door flew open. Michael looked at the Jones' in awe. Betty and Jughead had to blink a few times to confirm what they were seeing.

Michael's crystal blue eyes were bloodshot and he had dark circles. His usually neat, clean hair was messy and unkempt. Michael motioned the Jones' into his room, and he shut the door behind him. Surprisingly, Michael's room was clean for having stayed locked inside for five days. His bed was made and there was no sign of clothing or trash left on the floor. The only thing messy about Michael were his emotions _._

Michael's room was painted dark blue. He had pictures of him around his room from when he and Lily were smaller, he and his dads after football games, he and Lily in multiple different places... and a picture of Lily on his nightstand, one that looked as though he'd never take it down.

     

Jughead noticed the picture. He'd never seen it before. He'd never seen a lot of these pictures of Lily before. Michael had a true talent for capturing the green of her eyes and the dark curl of her hair.

"Did you take all of these, Michael?" Jughead asked, picking up the picture from Michael's nightstand.

"Uh..." Michael muttered, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah... I did..."

"They're amazing!" Betty said.

"Uh... Could we maybe...  _not_... talk about her right now?" Michael sniffled and ruffled his hair.

"Right... Sorry..." Jughead said. He showed the letter to Michael. "This is for you, actually." Michael looked down at the neat cursive on the envelope. He slowly reached his hands out and took the letter from Jughead's hands.

"I-Is this from--?"

"Yes," Betty replied, already knowing the answer.

"I could tell by the handwriting," he said and smiled, grazing his finger over the black writing.

"You can open it now," Jughead said. "We won't judge." Michael looked up at Jughead and smiled, then tore open the seal and took the card out of the envelope. He sat down by his desk to read the letter as Betty and Jughead watched him. Michael read the letter over and over again before setting it down. Betty and Jughead watched him sit and think about everything he just read. Betty finally broke the silence.

"Well...?" She asked. "What did she say?"

"I'm still in love with her," he said. "She said... that she'd never stop loving me... and..." Tears rose on the surface of his bright eyes. He realized what he had to do. "I'm sorry," Michael said abruptly. "I have to go." He got up and grabbed his Riverdale High Letterman jacket from his closet, threw the door open, and ran down the stairs. Betty and Jughead tried to stop him on his way out, but Michael was determined. Kevin and Joaquin came in after their son ran out of the house.

"What was that about?" Kevin asked them.

"I have no idea," Betty replied, picking up the letter. She read it quickly. "... Uh, Jug?... You should see this..." Jughead whipped around over Betty's shoulder and read the letter.

"Michael,

I'll never stop loving you. I'm not sure I can. I didn't tell you about a lot of things, and I should have. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for breaking up with you when I needed you most, but I need your help.

I'm going to stop Malachi today. If you still love me, meet me at Pop's at 2 this afternoon.

I miss you so much Mikey and I'm sorry. I hope I'll see you there.

Lily Elizabeth Jones"

"Oh no..." Jughead said. "Betty, let's go."

"Jug, what are we supp--?"

"Betty," Jughead said firmly, "Now." Betty nodded. "Thanks for the hospitality, Kevin, Joaquin, but we have to go. Bye!" Jughead sped down the stairs and out of the house, unlocking the car and jumping into the driver's seat. Betty took the passenger's seat and they sped off.


	44. "I'm Sorry"

**-Michael's POV-**

_Run_. That's all I was thinking.  _Keep running. Don't let Lily go and get Malachi._ Tears were running across my cheeks, flying off of my face, and hitting the pavement behind me.  _Just. Keep. Running._

I was running so fast that I didn't even realize how tired I was until I stopped in front of Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe. I checked my watch;  _2:07 PM_.

"Shit," I muttered and pushed the doors open. I looked right. No one. I looked left. One person was sitting down in a booth and looked up at me, locking her green eyes with mine.

"Lily," I gasped.

**-Lily's POV-**

I heard the bell of Pop's jingle. I looked at my watch.  _2:07 PM_. Maybe he didn't get my note in time. I looked up.

There he was. He scanned the diner with his crystal blue eyes until they were glued on mine.

"Michael," I muttered and got up from my booth. We stood there, just staring at each other for a moment. He took a deep breath and smiled. I sighed and gazed at him. Michael started walking towards me, and I ran to him, jumping into his arms and wrapping my arms around his neck. I never wanted to let go and he didn't release his grip on me.

"Don't go," he pleaded. "Don't go to Malachi." I pulled back from the embrace.

"Michael, I--"

"Don't do it, Lily," he added.

"Michael, I wasn't--"

"I won't let you," he whimpered, a tear rolling out of his eye. "I'm not letting you go."

"Michael--"

"Lily, you're not going, don't try to convince m--"

I kissed him abruptly. He was shocked at first, and pulled back. I looked into his eyes for a fraction of a second before my eyes flickered to his lips. I cupped his top lip with mine and he did the same with my bottom lip. My hands moved to his face as we pulled away and reattached once... twice... three times. He ripped away after a few moments.

"Wait wait wait, we shouldn't--" Michael began.

" _Michael_ ," I said firmly. He stopped and looked into my eyes. "I'm not going to Malachi," I said. "I just needed some excuse to get you here."

"Why?" He asked, setting me down. I sighed and took him by the hand, leading him to the booth and sitting opposite him, holding onto his hands. He rubbed the backs of my hands with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry for pushing you away..." I said. "I didn't want you getting hurt..."

"I don't want you getting hurt either..." Michael added.

"Can we make a pact?" I asked. "To protect each other, no matter what?"

"Are you asking me to--?"

"Don't overthink it right now..." I said firmly. "But maybe."

"We'll protect each other," Michael said, squeezing my hands a little. "Okay."

"Okay," I replied. We smiled at each other. I let go of his hands, got up, and sat on his side of the booth, holding onto Michael's arm and leaning onto his shoulder. Michael rested his head against mine.

"Does this mean we're back together?" He asked softly.

"If it didn't, I'd be worried," I replied. He chuckled lightly.

"I thought about you every day... I didn't know what I was going to do without you..." Michael whispered.

"I only thought of ways to get back to you, Mikey," I replied. Michael pulled me onto his lap and hugged me. I buried my face into his neck. He smelled exactly as I remembered (and as his hoodie still did). 

"How's your tattoo?" He whispered in my ear. "And I didn't see any bruises today..."

"The bruises were gone two days ago," I said. "My tattoo isn't healed yet, but it's still sore..."

"You don't know how good it is to hear you're doing better," Michael sighed. "And to just hear your voice... and feel your warmth... Just to hold you..."

"I missed you so much, Mikey..." I whimpered. A single tear rolled off of my cheek and hit Michael's neck. He pulled me out of the embrace and just looked at me for a moment. Michael reached up and held my face, wiping the tear stain way with his thumb.

"I missed you too," he replied. "But I was wondering... if I could get your blessing to join the Serpents..." 

"Yes," I replied. "You have my support." He beamed at me and I smiled back. We stared at each other, our smiles fading into want. Michael swiped his thumb over my bottom lip and slowly pulled me into a kiss. His soft lips brushed against mine delicately. He slid his hand into my hair slowly as he pulled me even further into it. I pulled back abruptly.

"Wait, there's something I need to tell--"I began.

I was cut off by a jingling bell. The teenager that just walked in turned Michael's head.

"Dylan?" Michael asked. Dylan held up a hand as a symbol of 'hello'. Michael turned back to me.

"What?" He asked.

"I need you with me."

"W-What are you talking about, Lily?" He asked.

"... We  _are_  going to get Malachi..." I said slowly. He looked at me in shock. I continued.

"Welcome to your initiation, Michael."


	45. The Journey Begins

"Lily, we're going to get ourselves  _killed_ ," Michael said as Lily grabbed her pastel yellow Serpent jacket from under the booth. She straightened up and pulled the sleeves over her arms, throwing on the jacket. 

"No, we're not," Lily said. "Dylan has been working on the plan for a few days."

"A-A few  _days_?!" Michael stuttered. Lily grabbed his hand and started dragging her boyfriend out of the diner. Dylan waited for them to pass through the door and followed behind them.

"We'll be fine," Lily added. Michael saw two jet black bikes sitting outside the diner that he hadn't noticed when he first went into Pop's. Lily let go of Michael's hand and picked up the helmet that sat on the leading bike. There was a crown etched on the front of the helmet.

"We are  _not_  taking that," Michael said. He pointed at the motorcycle.

"Well, I don't see your car," Lily teased, looking around the front parking lot. She looked back at Michael. "Did you  _run here_?"

"That doesn't matter," Michael huffed in response.

"Well it does because Serpents don't run," Lily said. "We ride." Michael looked over at Dylan, who was ready to go, straddling his bike impatiently. Michael fixed his gaze back on his girlfriend and sighed.

"Fine," Michael said. "But you're wearing the helmet." He walked over to Lily.

"The helmet is for you," Lily said. "I've been riding motorcycles since I was ten. You're gonna need this." She shoved the helmet into Michael's chest and hopped on. Michael grumbled in frustration, put the helmet on his head, and climbed onto the back of Lily's motorcycle. 

"You better hold tight," Lily said. "It's much too dangerous to go slow." Michael wrapped his arms around Lily's torso as she started the motorcycle, picked up her feet, and started driving off. Dylan followed to the left and behind them. 

Lily was right, she knew how to ride a motorcycle. Her father taught her everything he knew though her mom tried to protest it. It was a bit awkward for Michael to be clinging onto Lily because he was about ten inches taller than her. He tried best to lean down to Lily because he didn't want to pull her away from the handlebars. 

"Lily, where are we going?" Michael asked in her ear as she drove. 

"The Whyte Wyrm," she replied over her shoulder. "We've gotta meet up with the other teen Serpents and get you a jacket."

"Don't I get the jacket  _after_  the initiation?" 

"Well I'm the daughter of the Serpent King, so whatever I say basically goes," Lily said. "As far as I know, you're in."

They rode for about two more minutes until Dylan started gaining on Lily and Michael until he was even with the both of them.

"Don't break ranks, Sartor!" Lily yelled at him. "These are dangerous enough!"

"It's your parents! They're behind us!" Dylan yelled back. Michael turned his head and saw Betty and Jughead riding in their car.

"He's right, Lily," Michael said, facing forwards once more.

"Ugh," Lily grunted. "Pick up the speed then. We can't let them stop us." Dylan nodded and waited for Lily to get ahead of him before accelerating. Michael heard the rumble of the motorcycle's engine and felt the wind in his face as Lily picked up speed. He could sense Dylan behind them and the Jones' headlights on their backs.

Lily and Michael pulled into the Wyrm parking lot first, followed by Dylan and the Jones. Lily jumped off of her bike quickly and pulled Michael inside the Wyrm before he could even get the helmet off of his head. Dylan ran in behind them. 

Lily shoved both doors open, walking in front of her boyfriend and Dylan. The three teenagers marched through the bar, towards the briefing room when all three heard someone behind them.

"LILY ELIZABETH JONES, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO?!" Jughead yelled over all of the noise inside the bar. All three froze and turned around.

"Mom? Dad?" Lily asked, as if she was surprised, as they walked towards her. She stood in front of Michael and Dylan, ready to take the blame for all of it. "What are you doing here?"

"You are  _not_  going to get Malachi!" Betty exclaimed.

"Oh, yes I am!" Lily added.

"Not without us, you're not!" Betty said.

"What?" Jughead asked, looking at his wife.

"Wait..." Lily said. "You're coming with us?"

"Yes," Betty replied.

"BETTY, WHAT?!" Jughead exclaimed.

"You heard me, Jug," Betty added, stepping forward. "We're going to go and help the teenage Serpents get Malachi." Jughead looked at her in awe. "Who wrote up the plan?"

"I did," Dylan said, stepping out from behind Michael. "We were about to go review it with the rest of the teenage Serpents." Dylan motioned towards the briefing room.

"You know what..." Jughead began. "Screw it, I'm coming too."

"Wait," Lily added, stepping between her parents and the briefing room. "Could you guys go get a Serpent Jacket for Michael?"

"Are you two--?" Betty began. Lily nodded. 

"Sure," Jughead replied. He took Betty's hand and they went towards the Serpent Jacket closet. Lily turned back to Michael and Dylan.

"Lead on, Dylan," she said. He turned around and started walking towards the briefing room. Lily looked up at Michael for a moment and he looked down at her. They both smiled and looked away. Lily held onto Michael's arm and leaned her head on his shoulder as they followed Dylan.


	46. Together

Jughead kept turning his head back and trying to get a glimpse of Lily and Michael walking into the meeting room as Betty pulled him towards the jacket closet.

"Betty, I still think this is a bad idea," Jughead said as Betty tugged on his Serpent jacket sleeve, which made him trip over his own feet to keep up with her. Betty threw open the door to the closet, turned on the light, yanked Jughead inside, and shut the door behind her.

"It's better this way," she said forcefully.

"Why can't we just stop her?" Jughead asked.

"We can supervise this way," she replied. Jughead paused. "This is Michael's initiation."

"Bullshit," Jughead said. "His initiation was going with us to get Lily, and then Dylan!"

"This means something to Lily," Betty added. "The fact that she has finally given him her blessing to join."

"You don't know that she's given her blessing."

"Well if she dragged him here and they're back together, it must mean so," Betty said.

"So why don't we get the boy his jacket already?" Jughead asked, reaching a hand up to one of the black leather jackets. Betty pulled his arm down and held onto his hand. Jughead looked at her in shock. "Wh--"

"Listen," Betty said. "Don't you sideline me again."

"What do you--"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Betty said. "You kept me safe. It's going to be me, you, Lily, and Michael in there. Period."

"Betty," Jughead said, placing his hands on her shoulders. She let out a sigh and looked into his grey eyes. "I would never sideline you."

"Then why did you do it?" Betty asked. "I want to be in there with you."

"And you will be. I will never keep you from participating," Jughead said. "But that mission was dangerous and I needed you and Veronica on getaway logistics last time. I wasn't even planning on putting you out of harm's way. You'll be with me the whole time. I will protect you." He placed a hand on the side of her face.

"And I'll protect you," Betty added. They both paused for a moment until Betty continued. "Something could go wrong in there," Betty whispered.

"I know," Jughead muttered, stroking Betty's cheek with his thumb. "I don't want to lose you, Betts."

"I love you, Juggie." Betty nodded as a tear escaped her eye. Jughead took the other side of her face with his other hand and pulled her in for a kiss. Betty wrapped her arms around his neck as Jughead pulled her closer. It was intense and full of passion. They broke apart after a moment.

"If we survive this," Jughead began.

" _When_ ," Betty added. Jughead chuckled.

" _When_  we survive this..." Jughead repeated. Betty nodded. "We'll celebrate."

"A party at the Wyrm?" Betty asked. Jughead leaned in towards Betty's ear.

" _More than that_ ," Jughead whispered. He stood up straight and saw Betty biting her lip and smiling. "Okay, we better get Michael a jacket..." The couple went through all of the leather jackets and Jughead came upon one.

"This will fit him perfectly," Jughead said, pulling the coat off of the rack and holding it in his hand. "Let's go." Betty nodded and they left the room, Jughead holding the door for Betty. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in as they walked towards the briefing room. Betty held onto Jughead's hand on her shoulder, stroking the back of it with her thumb. When they finally made it to the door, they knocked, opened the door, and stepped inside to see not only Lily, Michael, and Dylan, but all of the teenage Serpents. Jughead's arm dropped back to his side in shock.

"Welcome," Dylan said, facing the teenagers, "to Ghoulie-Geddon."

The teenage Serpents cheered loudly. Lily smiled. Michael looked nervous. He turned around to see Betty and Jughead. 

They were both wearing their Serpent Jackets with pride, ready to take on the world. Together.


	47. The Warehouse

_BANG_

The door of the Ghoulie warehouse was kicked in by none other than Jughead Jones, holding Betty's hand. Both had a switchblade in their free hand and their Serpent jackets on their backs. Once he cleared the door, Michael Keller pushed it open so he and Lily could make their way in. He held onto her waist, making sure she was safe. Lily and Michael were clad in their Serpent jackets, their switchblades at the ready. 

Jughead and Betty were moving quickly ahead of them, and Lily stepped out of Michael's embrace to grab his hand instead. As she did this, fifty of the teenage Serpents started filing through the door, black leather and Serpent logos on their backs.

Malachi and two of his upper ranks were standing in the middle of the room. They turned in the direction of the noise and saw Jughead and Betty first. Their hands broke apart and their switchblades opened. Michael and Lily were close behind them. They also broke their hands apart. Lily went over by her mom, and Michael went on Jughead's other side. The switchblades clicked at the same time. 

Jughead marched up to Malachi and kicked him in the chest.

"OOmph," Malachi grunted and fell to the floor. Jughead held him down to the ground until a few teenage Serpents were able to relieve him and tie Malachi to a chair.

"Get your slimy paws  _off_  of me!" He yelled as one of his high ranks was hit in the face by one of Lily's fists and pinned to the floor by Betty's knee. They held a blade to his throat until he was tied in a chair. The last of Malachi's high ranks was tackled by Michael and held in a choke hold until they had him tied down.

"The hell d'you want, Jones?" Malachi asked.

"Oh shut it, Malachi," Jughead replied as he checked to make sure his daughter, wife, and daughter's boyfriend were okay. They each nodded.

"Do you think that you can really take a hit on a fellow gang leader and not have to pay for it?" Jughead asked.

"... Duh," Malachi teased. Jughead slapped him then lowered himself to Malachi's level.

"Wrong." Jughead spat in Malachi's face. "And you  _definitely_  should have expected me to come for you after everything Penny has done to my daughter."

"You already have Penny," Malachi said. "I don't care."

"Sure you don't," Lily replied sarcastically. "She brought in all of your money that funded this warehouse and all of your drugs and weapons."

"Who the hell are you to speak to me, Princess?" Malachi asked. 

Lily stepped over, pushed Jughead out of the way, and kicked Malachi in the face. His chair fell over backward, the back of the chair hitting the ground. His head hit the ground. Hard.

"Eeumph," Malachi muttered as he hit the floor. Two teenage Serpents came over and sat the chair upright. Malachi's nose was visibly broken, and blood was dripping from his nostrils.

Jughead stepped in front of Lily.

"That's my daughter," Jughead said right in front of his face. "And she can speak to you however the hell she wants." Lily walked back over to her mom and stood next to her.

"I won't have a  _child_  talking to me like that," Malachi said. Jughead had to hold Michael back, but he was slightly taller than Jughead and was able to push through him, grabbing Malachi by the collar.

"You listen here you piece of  _shit_ ," Michael said in his face. "I will  _end you_  if you so as look at her one more time."

"You think I'm scared of you?" Malachi asked. Michael picked up Malachi, tied to his chair, and threw him to the floor. 

_SMACK_

Malachi hit the floor and one collarbone looked broken. He'd been knocked unconscious. Michael was breathing hard. Jughead looked at him in shock, and Lily walked over to him, keeping him from leaving a beating on Malachi.

"Hey, it's okay," Lily whispered to him, holding onto Michael's arm. He nodded and stayed in place. Jughead looked at Betty. She nodded at him and stepped forward, her switchblade open in her hand.

Betty walked up to Malachi's unconscious body on the ground and took her switchblade to his face, leaving a cut from his temple to the corner of his mouth. Blood pooled on the side of his face as Betty stood upright and walked back to Jughead. She was welcomed back with Jughead's arm around her shoulders.

The two high ranks were looking back and forth from Malachi to the Serpents and back. They were shocked.

"Lock the doors," Jughead said. The teenagers did just that, keeping the doors shut except the back one. Jughead waited for the thumbs-up from each teenager, signaling that the doors were locked.

"Dylan!" Jughead called. Dylan stepped out from the crowd with a large box in his hands. Jughead motioned to the corner opposite the unlocked door. "Over there," Jughead said as Dylan nodded and the crowd parted for him. Serpents started making their way to the exit. The high ranks were confused. Jughead, Lily, Michael, Betty, and Dylan were the only ones left now.

Dylan started running for the exit and passed the four. Michael started pulling Lily away from the scene. She wanted to stay with her parents.

"It's been fun," Jughead said. "Good riddance." He took Betty's hand and started running, Michael and Lily speeding through the crates ahead of them. Betty kept turning her head and looking back.

"Keep going, Betty!" Jughead yelled, pulling her along. Lily kept doing the same, making sure her parents were behind her.

"Come  _on_ , Lily!" Michael said, kicking open the door and pulling his girlfriend along. Dylan was standing outside, helping people into the ditch outside the warehouse. He turned and saw Michael and Lily.

"Hurry up!" Dylan exclaimed. Michael was running faster than Lily, and she tripped, falling to the ground. Michael picked her up and kept running. He jumped into the ditch, Lily holding onto his neck. Michael held Lily's head to his chest. Dylan jumped into the ditch and crouched a few feet from Lily and Michael. He planted a kiss on Lily's exposed neck.

"Where's Jughead and Betty?!" Michael asked Dylan.

"I don't know, but it's gonna go off in a few seconds!" Dylan replied. Lily looked up and gasped.

"MOM!" She screamed. "DAD!" Lily tried to get up, but Michael held her to him.

"You can't, Lily!" Michael said.

"These are my  _parents_ , Michael!" She tried to get up again, but Michael held her to him.

"I won't let you!" Michael said, not allowing himself to let go and holding Lily's head down.

Just then, Jughead jumped into the ditch with Betty in his arms, her head pressed into his shoulder and his hand on the back of her neck.

_KABOOM_

The whole Ghoulie warehouse exploded. A gust of wind blew through, and debris fell all around them, but the Serpents were safe against the wall of the ditch.

Lily was crying into Michael's shoulder, unaware that her parents were sitting next to her. A fog of smoke came through, entering the ditch momentarily. It caused coughs all around. When it cleared, Michael looked to his left and saw Jughead looking at him, Betty broken down on his shoulder.

"Lily," Michael gasped.

"W-what?" Lily sobbed. She looked up and saw her dad gazing at her. Lily popped up from Michael's lap and wrapped her arms around her parents. Betty looked up from Jughead's shoulder and almost tackled her daughter.

Serpents were getting up and seeing that the warehouse was burning, cheering at the sight. Betty and Lily were laughing and celebrating. Jughead clapped Michael on the shoulder, and then Jughead got a call.

"Hold on," Jughead said to Michael, answering the phone.

"Hello?" He asked.

 _"Kid, we've got a problem," FP said over the phone_.

"Dad?" Jughead asked. "What happened?"

_"Penny Peabody escaped from our jails thirty minutes ago," FP replied._

"WHAT?!" Jughead exclaimed.

"Uh... Jug?" Betty asked, she shook his shoulder and Jughead turned around to see a middle-aged woman with messy blonde hair running towards them.  _Penny_.

"Dad, I gotta go," Jughead said quickly, hanging up. 

Lily jumped out of the ditch, her switchblade clicking open.

"Lily, no!" Michael said, scrambling to grab his girlfriend and pull her down. He missed, and Lily was able to get out and run towards Penny. They were running full speed at each other, destined to collide. 

Lily drove her shoulder into Penny's torso.

"AUGH," Penny exclaimed as she fell to the ground. Lily scrambled to find her switchblade. She turned her head and saw that she'd dropped it ten feet earlier. She got off of Penny and ran to the blade, grabbing it from the ground. She tried to get up, but was held down. Lily could see Penny get up as the person who was holding her down stood between them.

"Michael, get out of the way!" Lily said, standing up and trying to get past him. 

From Lily's right, a switchblade flew through the air. Before Lily was able to register it, the switchblade was in Penny's eye, and she fell to the ground. Michael gasped.

Lily turned around. She saw her mom breathing heavily and standing in a stance. A stance as if she'd just thrown a switchblade.

"Betty!" Jughead exclaimed, getting out of the ditch and running to her. Betty hugged him on the spot. She pulled back and started walking to Lily. Lily ran to her mom, colliding in an embrace. They rocked back and forth, Betty planting a kiss on Lily's forehead. They separated, and Lily ran into Michael's arms. He lifted her up into a hug and they kissed each other on the lips several times, then held each other in an embrace.

Jughead pulled Betty into another embrace and lifted her into the air. She giggled and they kissed when Jughead set her down.

The teen Serpents threw Penny's dead body into the burning building after returning Betty's switchblade to her. Jughead made sure that they worked quickly, because the Serpents did not need to be found at the scene.

The Serpents jumped back on their bikes and started heading back to the Wyrm. Jughead, Betty, Lily, and Michael were at the end of the riding party. Betty was riding on the back of Jughead's bike and Michael was riding on the back of Lily's. Their bikes were side by side.

Jughead nodded to Lily, and Lily nodded back. They both fired up their motorcycles. Lily and Michael led, and Jughead and Betty followed behind them, driving back to the Wyrm.

Had Betty gone with her urges and looked back at the warehouse, she would have seen a figure carrying two dead Ghoulies and a woman out of the fire. A scowl was written across his face, his dark curly hair was slightly charred, and his nose was broken.

A fresh cut ran across his face, still dripping blood.


	48. The After Party

**-Lily's POV-**

Michael held tight to me as I drove us back to the Wyrm. I knew he didn't like riding on my motorcycle but for once he seemed... content with it. I forced him to wear my helmet when we rode, and at this point, he no longer protested it. We were about halfway to the Wyrm when Michael spoke in my ear.

"These stars are nothing compared to the ones I've seen in your eyes," he whispered sweetly. I looked up and realized that the sun was going down, revealing about fifty stars in the sky. It wasn't dark enough to see all of them. He paused for a moment.

"I'm sorry, you weren't supposed to hear that," Michael chuckled. I laughed.

"You are the single best thing that has ever happened to me," I replied, then paused. "And your eyes are like oceans, drawing me in with every wave."

Michael kissed my neck and I smiled widely. When I pulled into the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm, Michael hopped off of my bike quickly, taking the helmet off, and lifted me off of the bike and into his arms.

"Mikey!" I squealed. He laughed as I held onto him. "Put me down!" I said. He set me down on the pavement, grinning.

"I heard there's supposed to be a party in there tonight," Michael said to me. "Wanna be my date?" He asked smugly, as if there was another answer besides...

"Duh!" I exclaimed and grabbed his hand. We laughed as we ran inside to music booming and Serpents celebrating. Sweetpea and Fangs ran up to me, throwing me onto Michael's shoulders. The whole room cheered. 

When my parents came through the door, my grandpa lifted my dad onto his shoulders as my mom laughed.

"DAAAAAD!" my father exclaimed. Michael and I watched as he struggled to get down and my mom was about to suffocate from her own laughter. My grandpa put him down and beamed at him, ruffling his beanie. Once his dad left, my dad took my mom's arm and started following Michael and I. When we got to the middle of the room, Michael let me down and we joined the party. 

Later that night, Toni and Cheryl came up to Michael and I, hugged me tightly, and congratulated us. When Sweetpea and Fangs came back around later, they both ruffled my beanie and Michael's hair. My grandfather found us and told me that I need to stop following my father into situations like this. Michael and I laughed it off. Dylan got a little drunk and was trying to third wheel us, but we found him a spot to sit down. Cherie came up to us and I accidentally ignored Michael for five minutes because we were so excited about everything.

"I'll let you two be," Cherie said. "See you later, bestie."

"Catch you in a while, Topaz!" I replied as she walked away. Michael looked at me and smiled.

"What?" I asked. He took my hands into his own and looked into my eyes.

"I can't believe you talked me into this," He said.

"Well  _you_  were the one that brought up the party," I replied.

"Not that," He said. "All of this. The Serpents."

"I didn't have to convince you to join the Serpents, you wanted to do that on your own," I responded.

"The Serpents were just one example," He said sweetly. "I wouldn't be here, right now, with you if you weren't the best part of me."

"You're too sweet to me," I said.

"I'm sweet to you because you deserve to have someone treat you this way," Michael added. We started to sway to the slower song in the background. "I fell in love with my best friend."

"We were best friends in elementary school," I chuckled.

"We drifted away in middle school, and I've regretted it ever since," Michael said. "But we found each other in freshman year when--"

"When we both made varsity," I interrupted. "Me on the River Vixens and you on Varsity football."

"Yes," He replied. "But we became best friends again in freshman year and we were still best friends at the beginning of this school year when we realized we had feelings for each other."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Michael Keller was trying to seduce me," I said sarcastically. He pulled me closer.

"Why don't we go back to my place?" He whispered in my ear. "My parents are out tonight." I bit my lip, looked around, and saw my mom and dad standing by the bar, engaged in a conversation with Toni, Cheryl, Sweetpea, Fangs, and FP.

"We've gotta be discreet," I replied. Michael smiled and nodded. We began to creep towards the exit. I grabbed Michael's hand and we walked past as quietly as possible. We were almost to the door when--

"Lily?" I heard my dad ask. Michael and I turned around. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"Uh..." I muttered. Michael stepped to my side so that he was even with me. "ImgonnaspendthenightatMichael's,goodnight!" I exclaimed and pulled Michael through the door with me. We ran to my bike and he put on my helmet as I hopped on. He wrapped his arms around my torso and we sped off.

**-Jughead's POV-**

"Where are you going?" I asked. Lily muttered something, and Michael moved so that he was even with her.

"ImgonnaspendthenightatMichael's,goodnight!" She yelled and pulled Michael through the door. I took a sip of my drink, not fully processing what she said.

 _Wait_ , I thought. I spit out my drink.

"HOLD UP!" I exclaimed. I tried to go stop them, but I felt someone holding onto my wrist.

"Jug!" Betty said, not letting go. I turned to her. "Let them go."

"But--" I started.

"You remember how we were, Juggie," she added. "We'd be infuriated if our parents showed up as we were... you know..."

"That's why we should go!" I insisted. "To stop them!"

"No, Jug," Betty said. "You've got a thick skull." She pulled me to her and whispered in my ear. "This means that we've also got the house to  _ourselves_ ," Betty added. She stepped back and I saw her biting her lip. I grinned.

"Yo, Jones!" Sweetpea said. "What's going on?"

"Oh... Nothing..." I replied. I looked down at Betty, who raised her eyebrows at me. "Betty and I are just tired, so we're gonna go home..."

I waited for some immature response...

"Ok," Fangs said. "I don't blame you, that daughter of yours is exhausting." The rest nodded in agreement. They all paused for a moment.

"Wait..." Sweetpea said. "Where's Toni and Cheryl?" Fangs, FP, and Sweetpea looked around the bar, but Toni and Cheryl were nowhere to be seen.

"No way!" Fangs said. "They ditched us to--"

"What?" FP asked.

"Jug and Betty are gone too..." Fangs added. FP and Sweetpea saw that we'd bolted. Betty and I were listening from outside. We laughed silently, then I grabbed Betty's hand and pulled her onto my motorcycle, and we drove away.


	49. "I Adore You"

**-Michael's POV-**

I ran up the front steps to my house, shakily pulling my house key out of my pocket. I was nervous, but too excited to stay still. 

Lily walked up behind me and touched my elbow, sensing my shaking. I was able to calm down and get the key in the lock, quickly unlocking the door. I opened the door and turned my head. Lily was standing there with a large grin on her face, biting her lip. 

I smiled and pulled her into my house by her wrist. She giggled as I flung her inside, shutting the door audibly. I did what she wasn't expecting.

I pulled Lily back and threw her against the door, pinning her there. Our foreheads touched and we smiled brightly at each other, though the whole house was dark.

"Was that too rough for you?" I huffed. Adrenaline was coursing through my body.

"I'm fine," she panted, her breaths quick. Her grey-green eyes looked into mine. "I'm all yours."

"Perfect." I smiled, kissing her abruptly. My hands found their way to her waist and her arms held her close to me.

I picked her up slowly, neither of us breaking the kiss. I made my way to our kitchen counter, sliding her onto it carefully. I could feel when she was as far back as she could go. I parted her legs and stepped between them, slightly rubbing against her. Lily's hands were in my hair, her soft lips parting, giving me entrance. My mouth explored hers as my hands moved to the bottom of Lily's shirt.

I opened my eyes, grabbed her t-shirt, and watched as I helped her pull it off. It revealed a bra that was slightly darker than her skin and it hugged her perfectly. Lily's chin raised as she pulled the shirt over her head. I put my hands on her thighs for only a moment until the collar made it past her face. I smiled warmly at her as her face was revealed. I took her head in my hands and pulled her in for a kiss, right as her shirt was thrown on the floor.

Lily's legs wrapped around my back as I kissed her once more. This time, she felt the edge of my shirt and started pushing it off of me. I could sense Lily biting her lip as she pushed my shirt higher and higher. I got the collar over my head and took the shirt in my hands as I felt Lily grab my neck and shoulder. I threw the shirt to the side as I stepped closer to her, our lips touching again. 

I could feel Lily smile through the kiss, her fingers lingering on my skin. I wrapped one arm around Lily's back as I moved to her neck, leaving tender kisses on her creamy skin. I could sense her breath hitch and quiet moans coming from Lily as I kept it up. I was about to kiss her again when she stopped me and looked straight in my eyes, both of us out of breath and panting.

"Before I do this, I need you to know that I have  _always_  loved you..." Lily whispered to me.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?" I asked sarcastically but sweetly. "I  _adore_  you!"

"Really?" She asked softly. I sighed and stepped even closer to her, between her legs. I moved her arms so that they were resting on my shoulders, her hands behind my head.

"When I picture myself happy... It's with you," I replied softly. She smiled. "I've been in love with you my entire life. Ever since the first day I met you." Lily bit her lip.

"Are you ready to take this upstairs?" I asked, pressing my forehead against hers. Lily chuckled and kissed my cheek. "I'll take that as a yes," I added, picking Lily up and carrying her up the stairs as fast as I could. 

I threw the door to my room open, stepped inside, and slammed it closed, locking it behind us.


	50. "It's Okay to Cry"

**-Jughead's POV-**

I slowly opened my eyes when I felt Betty tossing and turning next to me. It was 2 AM. I was only sleeping in boxers, and Betty had on a bra, underwear, and my S tshirt from the previous day. I groaned and scratched my head. I thought she'd be able to sleep better after the night we had together.

"Betty?" I whispered. She didn't respond, but kept struggling to maintain a comfortable sleeping position. She turned her body so that it faced me, but I realized something. She was still asleep.

 _Nightmares_ , I thought. I rolled onto my side and looked at her as she slept for a moment. Betty tried to turn back over but I caught her under her armpits and pulled her closer to me. I rolled onto my back and took Betty with me, laying her on top of my chest. She subconsciously wrapped her arms under my back and let her head lay to one side on my chest.

I embraced her back and I fell asleep again.

Five minutes later I woke up again to Betty trembling on top of me, tears streaming through her eyelids. She was gripping to my torso tightly, light sobs escaping.

"Hey, hey..." I said softly, moving a hand to the back of her blonde head and pressing her to my chest. My fingers fiddled with her blonde waves. "You're safe. I've got you." 

Betty's eyes parted, letting a tear splash on my skin. She held me tighter and buried her head in my chest. I sweetly caressed her head and hair. Betty closed her eyes again. 

I began to sit up with Betty still clinging to my chest. It made it a bit hard to sit up with Betty on top of me but I managed. She sat on my lap, not wanting to let go.

"Look at me, Betty," I said. Betty reluctantly leaned back so that I could see her emerald eyes. "Just breathe, okay?" She nodded slowly, another tear running down her cheek. I moved my hand to her face and wiped the tear away with my thumb.

"I don't know why I'm crying..." Betty muttered. 

"It's okay to cry..." I added.

"It was just a dream..." I could tell that she was trying to let it roll off of her.

"It was a  _nightmare_ , Betts," I whispered. I was holding onto her hips when I had an idea. My hands moved up her shirt and onto her sides. Betty giggled, though I could tell that she didn't want to.

"Juggie..." She laughed. "Stop iiiiiiiit!" My fingers traced her sides ever so delicately, just enough to make Betty go insane. She squirmed on my lap and I chuckled, holding her there.

"I'm not going to stop tickling you until you admit that you had a niiightmaaaare!" I teased, smiling and biting my lip.

"I could kill you right now!" Betty exaggerated, laughing between each word.

"Just admit I'm riiiiight," I added.

"You can't keep doing this," Betty chuckled, moving to try and escape my fingers.

"Say iiiiiiiit!" I added, tickling a different spot. She squealed and I chuckled to myself.

"Okay fine!" Betty exclaimed. "I had a bad dream!"

"Aha!" I said. "I could kiss you right now!"

"You're an idiot," Betty said after I moved my hands away from her ticklish areas.

"Correction," I said. "I may be an idiot, but I'm  _your idiot_."

Betty took my face in her hands and left a long kiss on my lips, then released.

"Okay, I'm tired," she added.

"Way to kill the mood," I said sarcastically. Betty rolled her eyes. "Okay, I'll lay back down."

Betty didn't move back to her own side of the bed, but stayed on top of me as I slid down. When my back rested on the mattress, Betty made herself comfortable on me, and we both fell back asleep.

Betty didn't have another nightmare that night.


	51. His Princess

**-Michael's POV-**

The sunlight shone through my window, hitting my face and waking me up. I yawned silently and looked down. Lily's head was resting on my bare chest, with one arm wrapped around her back. My alternate hand held her shoulder. Lily was sleeping peacefully, her slow deep breaths resonating in the room.

I smiled when I remembered what we did last night. I was in nothing but my boxers, Lily only wearing her bra and underwear. The multiple layers on the bed kept us both warm. I took my hand from Lily's shoulder and let a lock of her dark hair curl around my finger.

I carefully let it wind between my fingers as I brushed through her hair. There were no tangles, it was like letting a faucet run over your hand. Her hair was silky and soft, which made it easy to get lost in. It was so easy to get lost in that I realized I'd been sitting there for twenty minutes and stopped playing with Lily's hair. I let my hand fall back onto her shoulder, my thumb stroking her cotton-soft skin.

Lily started to stir and I smiled. She moved her head to look at me and her cheeks flushed.

"Good morning, princess," I whispered. She giggled.

"You're the only person I let call me princess," she said groggily. "Anyone else gets punched or glared at." I chuckled. Lily let her arms wrap around my torso and she closed her eyes. Then they shot back open.

" _Wait,_ " Lily said. " _This is not my bed._ Did we--?"

"We were safe," I interrupted. "Was last night not good enough for you?"

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed sitting up next to me. "That's not it at all!" Lily put her hand on the side of my face and I leaned my head into it. "Last night was  _incredible_." She paused and I smiled brightly. "I was only about to ask if we'd been safe..."

"Well that's good because I was about to say that we could try again..." I raised my eyebrows at her. Lily blushed. "But I'm too tired for that so I'm gonna go back to sleep."

" _Michael!_ " Lily whined at me as I flipped onto my chest and faced away from her. "Uuuuugh! We  _just_  woke up!" Lily laid perpendicular to me across my bare back. " _Mikeyyyyy_!"

"Snoooooooze," I replied and chuckled. Lily sat up and started kissing the back of my neck. "That's not gonna work, Lils," I joked. She kissed me lightly right under my earlobe and my whole body jolted. Lily laughed. She knew I was ticklish right there. 

I rolled onto my back, grabbed Lily, pulled her to my chest, and rolled back over, trapping her under my arm. She couldn't stop giggling.

"Mikeyyyyy!" She laughed. I gazed at her, and she stopped struggling. Lily looked into my eyes, and it felt like the whole world stopped spinning. They were a deep green, and the light hit them just the right way to the point where I couldn't look away... I was too awestruck. We stared at each other as I couldn't get any words out. Lily could sense I didn't know what to say.

"What?" She whispered, still looking into my eyes.

"Y-Your eyes..." I choked out. "T-They're just so gorgeous." Her eyes flickered to my lips, and she pulled my face in for a kiss. It was gentle and soft. My arms subconsciously wrapped around her back. When we pulled away, I sighed and let my eyes flicker open. Lily's opened before mine.

"I love your eyes too," she added. "So clear... So blue..." I smiled and booped her nose.

"What was that for?!" She giggled.

"Just because," I said. I could feel my stomach starting to rumble. "D'you want breakfast?"

"Sure," Lily added, biting her lip.

"Not that kind," I joked.

" _Michael!_ " She exclaimed.

"Just kidding," I said. "I'm gonna make some pancakes."

"Okay," Lily said. She let me slip out of her arms. 

I threw my legs over the bed and got up, walking out of the room and down the stairs with just my boxers on. I brushed my hair back with my fingers as I went into the kitchen and started making pancakes.

About thirty minutes later, I had some of the batter in the pan, and three more already-cooked pancakes on a plate. I heard feet coming down the stairs as the first side of the pancake was almost done. I felt arms wrap around right after I flipped the pancake.

"Smells  _amazing_ ," Lily said. from behind me.

"Hey, princess," I said, undoing Lily's arms and turning around. She hugged me when I was facing her. Lily's head rested on my chest, my chin touched the top of her head. She'd put on one of my t-shirts. It was an army-green color with a pocket on the left side. I didn't realize how soft it was until I held Lily to me. She stepped back, and I realized she had her hair down in its natural curly and wavy state. Lily wasn't wearing any pants to cover up her underwear. She looked sexy.

"You realize my dads could be home soon, right?" I asked.

"What about them?" She asked back.

"You gonna put on some pants?" I asked jokingly.

"Nope," She said. "My parents texted me and said they took your parents out to Pop's for breakfast, so  _there_."

"Okay then," I said, looking back at the pancake in the pan. I quickly put it on the stack with the three other pancakes. I picked up the plate and turned to Lily. "You hungry?"

"Yeah," she grinned. We walked over to the kitchen table and took two pancakes each. I had to get up to grab some maple syrup for Lily when I got a phone call. I quickly grabbed the syrup and set it on the table.

"Give me just a second, Lils," I said. "I'll be right back." I left a kiss on her forehead and she smiled. I walked around the corner and looked at the caller ID. I didn't know the number, but I picked up anyways.

"Hello?" I asked into the phone.

"Is this Michael?" The voice asked. I thought I might've recognized it.

"Depends," I said defensively. "Who's calling?"

"An old friend," the voice said. "My name is Malachi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of Part II


	52. He's Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Beginning of Part III... aka the final part of this story

**-Lily's POV-**

Michael came back almost immediately after he left to take the phone call. I'd just set the maple syrup back on the table when he sat next to me.

"Who was on the phone?" I asked.

"Uh... Just a wrong number. No big deal," He replied, picking up the maple syrup and drizzling it on his two pancakes.

We ate, laughed, and talked about random things, though I could tell that there was still something on Michael's mind. Once we finished our breakfast, things got steamy and we fooled around again in Michael's room, collapsing into each other's arms with large smiles on our faces. When we recovered, we got dressed and decided to go back downstairs and watch Netflix.

I put Michael's army green t-shirt back on and added a pair of black shorts along with my grey crown beanie. Michael had on an identical light blue t-shirt, a pair of white jeans, and a grey hoodie that said "Pull & Bear 1991" on it in white.

We sat on the couch, my head in his lap, Michael's fingers running through my hair, and my beanie on his knee. We had "The Good Place" running on Netflix, a show we both loved. We were close to the end of the season, and when the last episode was over, I was outraged because I wanted more. Michael just sat there and chuckled to himself. He eventually had to get up and pull me back to the couch. He held me in his arms to calm me down and I fell asleep on him, blankets wrapped around us both and Michael playing with my hair. 

I woke up about thirty minutes later, and Michael was still running his fingers through my natural wavy curls. I looked up at him.

"Did you even fall asleep?" I asked, sitting up next to him. "You  _always_ fall asleep when we're like this."

"Well hello to you too," Michael replied sarcastically. "But, no, I didn't."

"Is there something on your mind?" I asked kindly, gently holding onto one of his hands.

"I-I'm fine, Lils," he said, placing the palm of my hand over his heart. 

"There's something on your mind," I said. "I can tell."

**-Michael's POV-**

_Shit_ , I thought. I forgot she could see right through me.

"No there isn't," I lied.

"Really?" Lily asked. 

"Yeah," I lied again.

"I'm not buying it," she added.

"You're right," I said. "I need to make a call. I'll be right back." I leaned forward, kissed Lily on the forehead, and got up from the couch. I walked up the stairs to my room, phone in hand, looking for Jughead's phone number. I shut my door behind me and locked it, then pressed Jughead's contact. There were three rings before he picked up.

"Hello?" Jughead's voice came from the other side of the phone.

"Mr. Jones, it's Michael."

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Everything's great."

"So why'd you call?" He asked.

"Uh... You might want to sit down for this one because it's a bit insane."

"What's going on?" Jughead asked in a more serious tone.

"I got a call from Malachi this morning," I muttered into the phone.

" _WHAT?!_ " He exclaimed from the other side. I pulled the phone away from my ear for a moment.

"It sounds insane, I know, but I recognized his voice! He was looking for me!"

"What did you tell him?" Jughead asked sternly.

"I told him he had the wrong number," I replied.

"Does Lily know?" He asked.

"No, I haven't told her. I don't know how to!"

"Kid, you gotta. Lily needs to know.  _Shit_ , you couldn't have told me earlier?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do!" I said.

"Betty I'll be back later! I'm going to the Wyrm!" I heard Jughead yell away from the phone. "Keep Lily safe, Michael. I trust you with her life right now. I'm going to talk to the Serpents, make sure everything is secure."

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"Text or call if there's any problems," He said.

"Of course, Mr. Jones."

"Gotta go. Bye."

He hung up. I let out a sigh. How was I supposed to tell my girlfriend that Malachi was back? After everything she's been through because of the Ghoulies, one still remains at large. How could I tell her that? Especially because it's Malachi, the one that's supposed to be dead twice over. Lily almost killed him once, and now he magically appears after we destroy the Ghoulie warehouse, taking out all of them.

"Just had to be Malachi," I muttered to myself, opening my bedroom door and starting down the stairs, thinking about how I was going to admit to Lily that Malachi was back.

"Hey, no pressure, it's just that your arch-rival is still alive after we blew up his warehouse yesterday and he called me this morning. No big deal though, right?"

 _Absolutely not_. 

Sooner than I expected, my feet hit the bottom of the stairs, and I was wishing that there were more so I could think this through. Lily was still sitting on the couch. She looked over at me and smiled, then got up and walked over to me.

"Are you okay, Mikey?" Lily asked. "You look a little pale."

"Uh..." I muttered. "I need to tell you something."

"Is everything alright?" She asked.

"No," I said. "We should sit down." I led Lily to the couch. She was a bit nervous and kept holding onto my hand after we sat down.

"What's going on?" She asked caringly.

"That phone call," I began. "The one I got before breakfast..."

"The wrong number call?" She asked.

"Yeah," I said. "It wasn't a wrong number... I don't know how to say this..." I paused for a few moments and took a deep breath. "Malachi... he's...  _alive_..."

"What?" Lily asked, her eyes widening.

"He survived the explosion."

"Th-That's not possible!"

"He did," I said. "He called me this morning."

"O-Oh my G-God," she said, starting to breathe heavily.

"Lily..." I said, taking her other hand in mine. She began to hyperventilate. "Lily?"

She let go of my hands and held them to her head. Tears spilled from her eyes, and she brought her knees to her chest. I watched as she fell off of the couch, landing on the floor with a thud, still in a ball. I immediately followed her onto the floor and sat her up against the couch. 

"Look at me, Lily," I said calmly. Her eyes shot to mine. "Just  _breathe, okay?_ " I wiped the tears from her cheeks with my thumb. "In... and out..." She nodded and did as I said, taking a shaky breath in then letting it out. I repeated it with her, several times until she was doing it on her own. Lily cried into her hands after her breathing calmed down. She reached out to me and I took Lily into my arms, letting her dry her tears on my hoodie. 

I rubbed Lily's back and shushed her as she cried. We stayed like this for five minutes before she spoke again.

"I thought it was over for good this time," she sobbed.

"I know, Lils..." I said. "Me too." I stood with Lily clinging to me and sat on the couch with her. She stopped crying eventually and fell asleep on me. I leaned my head against hers, closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, too.

Lily began to move around and she woke me up. When my eyes opened, she kissed my jaw twice and smiled.

"Hey, princess," I whispered, holding her a little tighter in my arms.

"Hey, Mikey," she replied. "My dad just texted and asked me to come home..."

"Aww..." I replied. "I get it. It's your dad."

"Actually I wanted you to come with me," Lily added. "I don't ever want to spend another minute away from you."

"Alright, I'm down with that," I said. 

"Great!" She exclaimed, kissing my cheek. I let her slip out of my arms and stand up. Lily took my hand and made me get up. I handed her beanie to her and she put it on, then led me up the stairs to get her things and head over to the Jones household.

**-Lily's POV-**

Once I had all of my stuff, Michael and I got onto my motorcycle and we rode through the Northside, past Pop's and Riverdale High, to my house. I pulled my bike into the driveway, and Michael and I got off. He immediately took my hand in his when he had the chance.

I tried to take a step towards the front door, but Michael stayed in place. He glanced over and saw my dad's motorcycle and my mom's car, then looked back at me.

"Something doesn't feel right," he said.

"What are you talking about, Michael, everything's fine!"

"I can feel it in my gut..." he added. "I don't know what it is, but it doesn't feel  _right_."

"That doesn't even make sense," I said.

"I know," He muttered. "You're right," he said, snapping out of his trance. "Let's just go in. I'm probably being paranoid."

"Okay," I replied. We walked to the front door, hand-in-hand. I took my key and unlocked the door, letting Michael and I into the house.

"Mom?" I called "Dad?" I paused and Michael closed the door. "I'm home!" There was no response. I looked up at Michael, he looked concerned.

"Get behind me," he whispered. I nodded and stood behind him, not letting go of his hand as he led us through the house.

"Mr. Jones?" He asked. "Mrs. Jones?" We were almost to the kitchen when Michael stopped.

"Lily?" He asked.

"What?" I replied.

"Look..." 

I stepped from behind his back and saw my dad sitting at the kitchen table with his head in his hands, and his beanie and a piece of paper on the table.

"D-Dad?" I asked, walking over to him. He looked up at me with red eyes, tears running down his cheeks. He got up and walked over to me quickly, pulling me into an embrace.

"Lily, thank  _God_!" He whispered.

"Dad, what happened?" I asked. He pulled away from the hug, grabbed the paper and handed it to me. Michael walked over and hovered over my shoulder as I read aloud.

_I've got your Queen after you killed my whole army._

_Have one of yours or yourself to meet me at the Ghoulie firepit at midnight or your Queen gets it._

_And come alone._

_I'll be waiting._

_Malachi._

I looked up at my dad.

 _"Where's mom?"_  I asked.


	53. "There Was Nothing We Could Do"

**-Lily's POV-**

"Where's mom?!" I asked a bit louder.

"Malachi took her, Lily!" My dad yelled, tears still leaking from his eyes.

"We have to do something!" I said.

"There's nothing we  _can_  do until later!" He replied.

"Can't we call the Serpents o-or the sheriff or  _somebody_?!"

"This isn't a  _we_  matter, Lily!" He yelled. "Malachi wants  _me_!"

"So we're just gonna let mom  _die_?!"

"That's not what I said, Lily, and you know it!" He said. I got quiet. I _did_  know it. My dad would never abandon my mom.  _Never_.

"I'm going with you tonight," I said.

"No, you're not!" Michael and Jughead said together.

"Oh yes I am!" I tried walking towards the front door.

"Hell no!" Michael said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into him. He held my back to his chest tightly.

"Get off me, Michael!" I screamed. I tried to struggle out of his grip but he was too big and too strong.

"No way," He replied, holding me closer to him. "I'm protecting you, it's my job."

"I don't need protection!" I yelled, still struggling against Michael.

"Yes, you do," My dad said. "You're reckless!"

"I am  _NOT_ \-- Okay maybe I am-- But I don't need protection!"

"Lily, the only reason that we're in this situation is because of your recklessness and you need protection!" My dad said.

"What are you talking about, dad?!" I stopped struggling against Michael.

"If you hadn't run into the woods behind me we wouldn't be having the problems we are now!" He said. I stopped.

"Y-You blame me for this?" I stuttered. "You would have  _died_  had I not followed you!"

"Are you asking me to  _thank_  your stubbornness?"

"You should!"

"Your mother was already on her way! I went in there to protect you and her! She would've found me!"

"No! FP's phone was dead! If I hadn't run towards you and dropped  _my_  phone, mom never would have found you!"

"You shouldn't have come after me!" 

"I COULDN'T LET YOU DIE!" I screamed. We didn't say anything to each other for a full minute. A tear sprung from my eye.

"I couldn't let you die, dad," I repeated quietly. Michael let me go and I stepped forward. "But now we have to save mom."

"This is not a  _we_  situation!"

"YES--IT--IS!" I tried to shove my dad. He didn't budge. In fact, my hands went through his torso.

"What the hell?" I asked, looking down at my hands. Everything started to spin. "I-I'm dreaming..." I concluded. _I started to panic. As I ran towards the front door, the floor started to crumble and the house started to unravel. What was left behind was darkness, and I was alone, sinking into the blackness..._

My eyes shot open and I felt arms around me as I was laying on the couch at my house.

"Lily?" A voice asked. I looked at him. It was Michael. I was laying on his chest. "I've been trying to wake you up for, like, five minutes... Are you okay?"

I had the bottom of his shirt balled in my hand and I could feel cold sweat dripping down my back. My crown beanie and both of our Serpent jackets lay on the coffee table.

"Are we at my house?" I asked, unsure.

"Yeah... You fell asleep on me at my house after your panic attack. Your dad called you, but you didn't wake up so I answered and he asked me to bring you home. I drove us back here and you were still asleep so I let you sleep on me... But seriously, though, are you okay?"

"Y-Yes, why do you ask?" 

"You were shaking, Lils," Michael said. "Before you woke up, you were  _shaking_." I remembered something.

"Where's my mom?" I asked. Michael shrugged his shoulders. I sat up and jumped off of him.

"Mom!" I yelled.

"Lily?" She asked from the top of the stairs. I looked up. "Hey, kiddo."

"Mom! Oh my god!" I ran up the stairs and hugged her tightly at the top.

"Geez, Lily," She said. "What happened?"

"I thought Malachi kidnapped you!"

" _What?!_ " She asked. "That's ridiculous! I'm right here! Your dad put Serpents around the outside of the house after Michael told him Malachi was still alive!"

"S-So it was all just a dream?"

"Yes. I'm fine. Your father is at the Wyrm right now." I let out a sigh of relief. "Michael looks a little spooked, though," My mom added. "You should go check on him."

I saw Michael sitting up on the couch and I walked back down the stairs. I felt bad because I kind of ditched him when he was trying to comfort me. I stood a few feet from him when he looked up at me.

"Can I sit?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied and smiled. We sat hip to hip. "What happened?" He asked. "You were shaking..."

"I had a dream that my dad asked me to come home and you came with me... And when we got inside of my house, my dad said that Malachi kidnapped my mom and left a note..." A few tears ran down my face.

"Oh, Lily..." He said.

"And then my dad and I got in a fight because I wanted to help him rescue her and he was refusing to let me go with him," I continued. "Then I realized it was a dream, panicked, and woke up..."

Michael let his arm snake around my back and held under my arm, pulling my shoulders closer to him. I shut my eyes and let my head rest on Michael's shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," Michael whispered. "That all of this has to happen to you..."

"I can't really help it, Michael," I added. "My parents are who they are..." I paused. "Isn't it exciting, though?"

"In an adrenaline junkie sort of way, sure," Michael chuckled. "Your dad's friends asked me to help guard the house once you woke up..."

"Aww," I whined.

"I'll be fine," He replied and kissed my forehead. "I'll see you in a little bit." Michael stood up, grabbed his Serpent jacket from next to mine, and slipped it on. I watched as he walked towards the front door. Michael was about to open it when my mom ran down the stairs.

"DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!" My mom yelled. Michael jumped away from the handle and held his hands up.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Get Lily and hide," My mom said to him calmly. "Malachi and a few of his goons are heading for us." I jumped up.

"How close are they?!" I asked. Before I could answer, we heard fighting outside. "Okay, they're  _that_  close." I picked up my Serpent jacket and beanie, putting on both. I grabbed the switchblade from my pocket and clicked it open.

"Oh no, you're not!" Michael yelled and ran over to me, picking me up.

"Michael, put me down!"

"No!"

"Go down to the basement and barricade the door, it's not safe until I call you to come out, do you understand?" My mom asked Michael.

"Yes, ma'am," He replied.

"Mom, come with us!" I yelled, but Michael pulled me away and down the stairs before she could hear me. Michael set me down once we got inside the basement, locked the door, and started putting stuff in front of it. I realized what he was doing and tried to pull him away.

"Wait for my mom, Michael!" I said, trying to pull him back. He turned around.

"Your mom might've just saved your  _life_ , Lily," he said. "We have to be ready to escape."

"She has to come with us!" I said, trying to get to the door. Michael held me away from it.

"Betty will be fine." I heard someone come in from the back. I turned around. It was my dad. He had Sweetpea, Cheryl, and Toni behind him, Veronica, Archie, along with FP, who was supporting a beaten-up Fangs, and a few other Serpents.

"Dad, wha--"

"Shh," He said. "We're waiting on backup. The Ghoulies are surrounding the front of the house but they can't get to the back. We've got Serpents on the way. There's about thirty Ghoulies that survived yesterday. The only thing we can do for now is wait."

Michael put a hand on my shoulder. I nodded to my dad. He was right.

There was nothing we could do but wait for backup and have faith in my mom.


	54. Malachi's Revenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the most intense chapters I have ever written. Just a warning.

**-Betty's POV-**

The Ghoulies were getting closer to the door. The fighting was getting louder.

 _I should have followed Lily_ , I thought. I couldn't change that anymore. Michael was probably barricading the door in his moment. I found my switchblade in my Serpent jacket and clicked it open, then stood in the middle of the room. I called Michael's cell.

_Ring_

_Ring_

_Ring_

"Hello?" came Michael's voice.

"Listen, Michael. Stay where you are. The Ghoulies are getting closer to the front door. Don't hang up. I want you and Lily to be able to hear everything that is going on."

"You're on speaker, Mrs. Jones. Jughead is here too."

"Betty?" Jughead asked.

"Jug," I replied. "How many Ghoulies are out there?"

"There were about thirty including Malachi, but their numbers are decreasing rapidly because of the Serpents stationed outside. Listen, Betts, are you going to be okay or do I need to send someone up there?"

"How many are left from the last time you checked in?" I asked.

"Three and Malachi... Are you going to be okay?" Jughead asked forcefully.

"Yes," I said. "Is backup on the way?"

"Yeah, but we've got about twelve of us down here that can come up there."

"No, Jug, you stay where you are. I'll tell them you left."

"That's dangerous, Betts," Jughead said.

"I'll be alright. They're about to kick in the door, don't hang up. Just record everything that happens. I love all of you down there," I said, hiding the phone close to me, muting any noise that they were making, and assuming position. I hid my switchblade up my sleeve right as a Ghoulie kicked in our door. Four of them entered, Malachi at the back, and they had a baseball bat each. I stood my ground.

"Well well well," Malachi taunted as he clapped his bat in his hand. "What do we have here?"

Malachi looked rough. His nose was swollen and purple from where Lily kicked him in the face, and there was a cut down his cheek that I'd made.

"If you're looking for Jughead he's not here," I said.

"What about that darling child of yours?" He asked.

"She's not here either."

"Her boyfriend?"

"Nope."

"Perfect," He said, grinning.

"What?" I asked, shocked.

"You were just the one I was looking for anyways. What better way to find you than unguarded except for the few at your door."

"Me? What do you want me for?" I asked.

"Four reasons, really," He said. "One, you're the Serpent King's wife, two, you'e the Serpent Princess' mom, and three, your daughter's boyfriend is so loyal to the Jones family that he would be willing to die to rescue you."

"Can you count?" I asked sarcastically. "That's only three."

"I thought it would be more obvious," he said. "Apparently I need to spell everything out for Serpents. Okay.  _You killed Penny and cut my face_!" Malachi yelled.

"Is someone leaving a cut on your face that big of a deal to the point where you have to come seeking revenge?"

"It's more about Penny, but still," He said. " _You threw a switchblade in her eye!_ "

"Well she deserved it," I said, crossing my arms in front of my chest. "Who gives a toss?"

" _I DO!_ " Malachi screamed.

"And?" I asked, trying to get on his nerves.

"You're gonna get it this time, Serpent bitch," He growled. "Grab her." 

Two Ghoulies started walking towards me from both sides with their baseball bats. I let my switchblade slip from under my sleeve and caught it in my hand. 

The Ghoulie on the left tried to swing at me, but I ducked and proceeded to kick him in the gut, knocking him backwards. The one on the right swung too. I ducked again, stepped forward, and plunged my switchblade into his bicep. I took my foot to his chest and pushed him off of the blade. He tumbled to the ground and started to bleed out. 

The first Ghoulie got back up and was back for more. He left his baseball bat on the ground and started walking towards me. I lunged at him, stabbing him in the thigh. Before he could collapse, the Ghoulie pulled out a taser and shocked me with it. I screamed and fell over, pulling the switchblade out of his leg. The Ghoulie fell to the ground and was bleeding profusely.

Tears started running out of my eyes. I was able to close my switchblade and get it up the sleeve of my jacket before Malachi and his last goon hovered over me.

**-Jughead's POV-**

Sweetpea was holding me back. I was trying to break loose, to go around to the back of the house and give Malachi a piece of my mind. Betty had just been shocked by a taser. I could hear it over the phone. Lily was crying into Michael's shoulder on the other side of the room. Backup hadn't come yet.

"Sweetpea, there's two guys left!" I yelled. "We can handle them!"

"We're waiting for backup like you said, Jones!" He said.

"Betty was just tased! I call Serpent Law One!" I screamed. Sweetpea let me go.

"Listen," Sweetpea said. Over the phone I could hear Betty struggling against Malachi.

_"Get the fuck off of me!" Betty yelled._

_"You're gonna pay for what you did to Penny!" Malachi said. "Hold her down!"_

_"Don't do this!" Betty pleaded._

"LAW ONE! NO SERPENT STANDS ALONE!" I yelled. Archie pushed the door open. I ran outside, followed by Sweetpea, Fangs, my dad, and Archie. Lily tried to come out.

"No, you stay there, Lily!" I watched Veronica pull Lily back inside and shut the door. "Let's move!" I yelled. We ran around to the back door of the house, switchblades in hand. 

I kicked the door in and saw Malachi on top of Betty, choking her with one hand and his other hand on her hip. Betty's face was almost purple. The other Ghoulie was holding Betty to the ground. I could see Malachi's pants undone, about to do what I thought he was about to do. He was currently trying to force Betty's pants down.

 _"YOU GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY WIFE!"_  I screamed, running to Malachi and kicking him in the face. He fell to Betty's side. I looked at Betty, who took in a deep breath and started coughing. The other Ghoulie was kicked to the floor by Archie. 

I could hear Malachi behind me, getting up and fixing himself to look innocent, trying to put up a fight. I didn't give a shit if he and his friend got away... not after I glanced at Betty. 

She was coughing harshly and taking in as much air as possible. I knelt to the ground and helped her to sit up. 

"Betty, Betty, it's me! It's Jug!" I said as Sweetpea, Fangs, my dad, and Archie ran after Malachi and his friend. Betty was shaking. I lightly touched her chin and directed her eyes to my face.

"I'm here, Betty," I said calmly, tears running down my face. She looked into my eyes and nodded slowly, blinking tears away, but she was still breathing heavily. "I'm so sorry," I cried.

"I-It's n-not y-your fau-fault," Betty croaked. I could see bruises forming on her neck from where Malachi choked her.

"Don't speak, Betty," I said. "I can tell it hurts..." Betty nodded.

"Would you rather me take you to the hospital?" I asked. "Dr. Masters doesn't ask questions, and I think you need some professional medical attention..." Betty nodded. 

"I'm going to pick you up and take you to the car, is that okay?" I asked. Betty nodded. "I'll be gentle. I promise." Betty nodded again. I scooped Betty from the ground carefully and held her bridal style. She nestled her head against my chest as tears continued to come out of her eyes. I carried her to the car and set her in the seat, helping her to buckle in. I got in the driver's seat and pulled off. 

Neither of us spoke the entire way there, but Betty gently pulled one of my hands from the steering wheel, holding onto it for the whole drive. She was still shaking from the shock of it all. I eventually pulled into the hospital and picked her up once more. Betty was still shaking. I let her get comfortable in my arms before I walked in with her. 

I found Dr. Masters immediately.


	55. "It's Not Your Fault, Juggie"

**-Lily's POV-**

Cheryl stood in front of me with her arms crossed. She wouldn't let me out of the basement.

"THEY'RE GONE!" I yelled. "LET ME OUT OF THIS ROOM!" I screamed.

"She's got a point, Cher," Toni said. Veronica nodded. Just then, Archie, Sweetpea, Fangs, and FP walked back in.

"They got away," FP said angrily. Veronica hugged Archie when he came back in.

"Where's my dad?" I asked.

"Jughead took off with Betty in his car," Archie said.

"He said something about the hospital," Toni added.

"THEN WE SHOULD GO!" I yelled.

"Cheryl, this is ridiculous," Veronica said.

"Malachi and his goons are still out there!" Cheryl exclaimed.

"Let Lily go see her parents," Toni said. Veronica stepped forward and took my hand.

"Cheryl, I don't care what you say, Lily is going to see Jughead and Betty. Archie, let's go. Michael, you can come too," Veronica said. Archie held the door open for Veronica pulling me through and Michael behind me. Everyone else started clearing the basement. We hopped into Veronica's car and we started driving towards the hospital. Michael and I sat in the back.

I could see Toni, Cheryl, Sweetpea, Fangs, and FP all jumping into FP's truck and following behind us. I turned back around and let my knee bounce with my impatience. Michael sensed it, and put a hand on my knee.

"They're going to be alright, Lils," I heard Michael say. I let out a sigh and nodded. Michael slipped his hand into mine as we rode. I don't remember too much from the drive, but I know that Veronica had barely pulled into a parking spot when I jumped out of the car and ran for the hospital door. Veronica, Archie, and Michael were right behind me.

I saw Dr. Masters and ran up to him.

"Lily Jones," He said when I approached him, out of breath.

"Where's--"

"Room 309," He said, already knowing my question.

"Thanks," I said, running down the hall and up to the third floor. When I got to the room, I stood outside the door. It didn't feel right to go inside. I heard three pairs of feet running towards me and I looked to where I came from, seeing Michael, Veronica, and Archie coming towards me. They stopped next to me.

"Lily, maybe I should talk to you before you go in..." Archie said. I nodded and he pulled me to the side.

"I'm not sure that I'm the right person to tell you..." Archie said. "We found Malachi and his goon pinning your mom to the floor... About to..."

" _No_ ," I gasped. "Like when Dylan tried to--"

"Yes," Archie answered quickly. "I just thought you should know before you go in." I nodded.

"T-Thanks..." I mumbled. Archie nodded. I walked back to the door and knocked three times. Archie pulled Michael and Veronica out of the way. The door cracked open and I saw my dad peering out at me.

"Lily," he said with a sigh of relief. My dad took my hand and pulled me into the room. He shut the door behind him and held me to his chest tightly. "Y-Your mom--"

"Archie already told me what he saw," I interrupted. "I know how she feels, or close..." My dad stepped out of the embrace.

My mom was asleep in a hospital bed, several pillows under her. She was fidgeting in her sleep. My dad noticed and walked over, uncurling her fingers and letting his hand hold hers. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Betty," He whispered. My mom's eyes fluttered open and locked with my dad's. "It was just a dream, Betts. Just a dream." My mom nodded and kissed my dad's knuckles.

"I love you," her voice cracked.

"I love you too, Betty," my dad said. "Lily's here now..." My mom glanced over at me and smiled.

"Hey, kiddo," she said weakly.

"Mom," I said quietly, a tear rolling down my cheek. I could see bruises on her neck and arms.

"I love you, kid," she croaked.

"I love you, mom," I replied, another tear gliding down my face. My dad set my mom's hand down and walked over to me.

"Let's let your mom get some rest," He said. I nodded and my dad showed me to the door, opening it, and closing it behind me.

**-Jughead's POV-**

I closed the door and let out a sigh, another tear running down my cheek.

"Juggie..." Betty whispered.

"Betty, please don't speak... Save your voice..." I whimpered. She rolled her eyes and motioned for me to join her in the bed. I squared my shoulders to her.

"Don't you think--" I tried to say. Betty held a finger to her lips and patted the bed next to her.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She nodded. I walked over to the side of the bed, kicked off my shoes, and took off my Serpent jacket. I slid under the covers, next to her, laying on my back.

"Let me know if it's too much," I whispered. She nodded and rolled over, putting her head over my heart and her right arm across my torso, holding onto me. I let my hand carefully entwine with hers, our fingers interlocking.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"It's not your fault, Juggie," Betty whispered back. "I still love you."

"I wish I'd been there sooner," I replied.

"You had perfect timing," Betty mumbled. "Malachi didn't get to me because of you."

"But I still feel guilty..." I added.

"Don't," Betty whispered back. "You had no say in it. It's not your fault, Juggie."

I didn't know what to say back, and Betty eventually fell asleep on my chest.


	56. Clouded Memories

**-Betty's (Flashback) POV-**

_It didn't feel quite real, but it was familiar._

Four year-old Lily sat on my arm as I waited for Jughead at the front door. I checked my watch. We were close to being late.

"Come  _on_ , Jughead!" I said. Lily was holding onto my pink Serpent jacket and watching for her dad. Finally, I heard footsteps thudding their way down, Jughead slipping his black Serpent jacket over his arms.

"Daddy!" Lily said. Jughead walked quickly towards us.

"Hey, Lils," he said, taking Lily from me. "You ready for the meeting, Betts?"

"That's why I called for you, dummy," I replied sarcastically, pecking Jughead's lips. I opened the door and let Jughead and Lily get out of the house before I did.

"So I'm a dummy now, is that it?" He asked as I turned around to lock the front door. I snickered to myself. I put my keys in my pocket and turned back to him.

"You're my Juggie," I replied sincerely. Jughead leaned forwards and I left another peck on his lips.

"Bleh," Lily grunted.

"Okay, fine," Jughead said, looking at Lily. "You wanna go see Sweetpea?"

"Sweets!" Lily exclaimed. I smiled at the both of them.

"Well let's go then," Jughead added. He set Lily down and she ran over to the car. I took Jughead's hand in mine as we made our way after Lily. I watched as Lily tried to open the car door, but she was too short to reach the handle. I let go of Jughead's hand and walked to the back door behind the passenger side, opening the door for Lily and helping her get in.

Once Lily was buckled, I shut her door and sat in the passenger seat, Jughead ready to go in the driver's seat. He pulled out of the driveway and started down the road to the Whyte Wyrm. Jughead checked his rear mirror to see that Lily was distracted before he discreetly slipped one hand into mine, leaving one hand on the wheel. I giggled lightly as he gave my hand a loving squeeze.

"This Serpent meeting could get a bit tense tonight," he whispered. "Our spies told me yesterday that Malachi is trying to recruit again." I sighed.

"When is he going to realize that the Ghoulies are too little to continue?" I asked softly.

"As long as he's got Penny, he still has cash flow and that's all that matters to him," Jughead replied. "There were twenty left that retreated after the rumble last week."

"Penny is in jail, Jug," I said.

"Doesn't matter. Penny has connections."

"Don't tell me this is the main topic of the meeting tonight," I grumbled. Jughead glanced at me, then looked at the road. I watched him do it and he thought he was sly about it. "Jug," I said.

"It is," He muttered and swallowed harshly. "The Ghoulies are more of a looming threat than the cops becoming involved."

"Yes, but we're also friends with the sheriff," I added. "Of course the Ghoulies are going to be at the top of the list." Jughead turned into the parking lot of the Whyte Wyrm.

"I know and I'm very aware of that," he said, putting the car into park. I climbed out of the car and got Lily from the backseat. She smiled when she saw me reach down to pick her up.

"Mommy!" She squealed.

"C'mon, Lils," I said, standing up straight with Lily sitting on my arm. I shut the car door and caught up to Jughead, who was waiting. We walked inside the bar together.

The first person we saw was Toni, who was serving drinks at the bar with little Cherie on a bar stool in front of her. Toni waved at us and we waved back. Cheryl came out and gave Toni a peck on the cheek before she saw us and waved as well. We saw Fangs too, and then Sweetpea came out. It was his night to sit out on the meeting with Cherie and Lily.

"Jones!" Sweetpea called from across the bar and waved. He started walking towards us.

"Sweets!" Lily replied. Jughead and I chuckled.

"Hey, kid," Sweetpea replied, taking Lily from my arms. I saw Lily smile brightly and Jughead put an arm around my shoulders. Sweetpea looked back at us. "I trust you'll fill me in later."

"Of course," Jughead replied. Sweetpea nodded.

"Then I have no problem taking care of the two princesses of this establishment," Sweetpea joked. He set Lily down and she ran to go see Cherie, one of her good friends.

"Thanks, Sweetpea," I said. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

"No problem."

Jughead's dad came out from the meeting room and signaled to all of the adult Serpents that the meeting was about to start.

"See you later," Jughead said. Sweetpea nodded. Jughead pulled me over to the meeting room. We were the last ones inside. With a final glance to the bar, I saw only Cherie, Lily, and Sweetpea left in the bar. Jughead and I stepped into the room and found our seats, FP closing the door behind us.

The meeting droned on as usual. After awhile, hearing about Malachi and the Ghoulies twice a month gets a bit boring. Jughead and I would glance at each other every once in a while and the discussion turned to security pretty quickly.

"We've got to make sure that the Ghoulies don't find the--"

There was a knock on the door and Sweetpea poked his head in. Discussion stopped. Jughead turned around.

"Yes?" He asked.

"Lily busted her knee and she wants to sit with you," Sweetpea said. Any groans of annoyance were silenced by Jughead whipping his head around and looking at the Serpents in the room.

"Let her in," Jughead said. Sweetpea said a few words to Lily outside the door, then took her hand and led her to Jughead. He carefully picked Lily up and set her in his lap. Though Lily was only four, she knew not to speak in Serpent meetings. She sat quietly and peacefully on Jughead's lap.

Conversations started back up again as I watched Lily entertain herself with Jughead's jacket. Lily noticed that I was watching her, and she looked at me with her grey-green eyes and reached out for me. I shook my head, but Lily insisted, trying to break from Jughead's grip. Jughead noticed, but kept the conversation going until he couldn't.

Lily was now trying to grab onto my sleeve from her place on her dad's lap.

"We need to-- Lily, you know better than t--" Jughead began.

I cut him off as I took Lily from his lap and held her in mine.

"She just wants her mom," I said. "Continue." Jughead nodded in my direction and kept going.

Lily was facing me and she smiled without making a sound. I admired the bundle of joy sitting on my lap. She gazed at the pink leather of my Serpent jacket and let her fingers fiddle with it. When she got tired of playing with it, Lily held on to the opening of the jacket, clenching it with her small fist and looking around the room. 

A few minutes later, I adjusted where Lily was sitting on me, so that her back was against me. I held around her torso, sizing her little hands against mine. I could sense Lily begin to fall asleep because she started readjusting herself to stay on my lap. When Lily was fully asleep, I picked her up and let her sleep on my shoulder. Lily's arms latched around the back of my neck and I could hear her soft breathing from my shoulder.

I glanced at Jughead and he looked slightly jealous. He shifted his gaze from mine when FP asked to adjourn the meeting.

"Hm?" Jughead grunted.

"I was asking your permission to end the meeting. We've hit all of the points for today," FP added.

"Yes, of course," Jughead replied. Indistinct conversations arose as the Serpents headed for the door. Jughead and I stood up, Lily still sleeping on my shoulder. He smiled at me and I smirked back.

"You're jealous," I said as we walked out of the door together.

"You  _wish_ ," He chuckled.

"You are," I said.

"No I'm--" _Jughead stopped mid-sentence._

_"Jug?" I asked. He didn't respond, so I looked in the direction that he was staring._

_Malachi was standing at the entrance to the Whyte Wyrm and Sweetpea was holding Cherie in one arm while the other was extended and pointing a switchblade at him._

_"What the hell?" I muttered. This didn't feel right._

_"Betty Jones," Malachi said with a devilish smile. "Just the one I wanted to see." I handed Lily off to Jughead and she woke up as soon as her head hit Jughead's shoulder. I stepped forward, next to Sweetpea and took Cherie out of his arm, letting her down. She ran into the crowd to find Cheryl and Toni. Sweetpea didn't drop his switchblade._

_"What the hell is this?" I asked._

WHAM

_All of a sudden, I was on the ground. Malachi held his hand on my neck. I tried to struggle out of his grip, but I couldn't breathe._

_I tried to struggle, but I felt weak._

_I tried to scream, but his hand kept me from making a sound._

_Malachi started to unbuckle his pants with his free hand, then tried to pull on mine._

_I tried to knee him in the stomach, but he forced my knee back down._

This is a dream,  _I thought._

I'm combining what's actually happened with a good memory.

_"You're a damn fool," I managed to say through Malachi's choking. "This isn't real." Hot tears flowed down my cheeks._

_Jughead ran from behind me and kicked Malachi in the face. Malachi was dragged away from me as Jughead helped me sit up. I looked in his eyes._

_"Wake up," he said, gently shaking my shoulders._ **"Wake up."**

And I jolted awake, sitting up abruptly.

I was breathing but each breath was shaky and desperate.

I could feel Jughead sit up next to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

I wanted to scream in pain, but I jumped instead.

"It's Jug, Betty. I'm here," he said calmly. I nodded, showing Jughead that I knew it was him. He let his hand rest on my shoulder, stroking it softly. My breathing went back to normal with Jughead's help. Warm tears made their way down my cheeks as Jughead comforted me.

When I was calm, but sobbing into my hands, Jughead pulled me into him. His strong arms held me secure as his S t-shirt dried my tears. My head rested against his chest and Jughead stroked my head.

"Shhh..." Jughead muttered. "It was just a dream... Just a dream..." I nodded silently from inside his arms. "You're safe, I'm here, Betts."

"I know, Juggie," I sobbed. My crying started to calm and I held onto Jughead's chest as he lowered us back onto the hospital bed.

"I was trying to get you to wake up for a few minutes there, Betts," Jughead whispered. "You started holding onto me really strong there and crying and shivering..."

"I'm sorry," I muttered.

"No, no, no, that's not what I meant," Jughead explained. "Don't be sorry, you didn't ask for any of this to happen to you." He paused "I'm happy that you're okay."

"Me too," I replied. Jughead wiped a tear from my cheek.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you more," I replied.

"Try to go back to sleep, Betts..." He said. I looked up and kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodnight," I whispered.

"Sleep well," Jughead replied, though I knew that he wasn't sleeping at all. He was watching over me and making sure that door didn't open for Malachi to actually be standing at the doorway.


	57. Reflexes

**-3rd Person-**

Sitting outside of Betty's hospital room were Michael Keller and Lily Jones, asleep on top of each other. Uncomfortable though it looked, Lily was being cradled in Michael's lap.

One of Michael's arms supported her back and his other held under her knees. Lily's legs below her knees were free to dangle as they hung over Michael's arm. Lily's arms were tucked between her chest and and the backs of her hands rested on her thighs. Her whole body leaned against his chest, Lily's head buried in the crook of Michael's neck. His head was supported by hers, tilted and leaning on her. Michael's arms were locked and were able to encircle Lily's body so that she didn't fall.

Across from them were the Andrews and the Topazes, both who fell asleep holding hands and their heads leaning against each other. FP, Sweetpea, and Fangs ended up going home the previous day before everyone fell asleep.

From down the hall, a nurse with a cart that had a squeaky wheel passed Betty's room and the three couples. The squeaking was faint, but loud enough to bother Michael's ears. His eyebrows twitched with the discomfort of the noise and his eyes fluttered open, getting used to the light of the hospital. He took in a substantial breath and let it out slowly.

Michael glanced at Lily, still asleep in his lap. She fidgeted in her sleep and buried her forehead deeper into Michael's neck.

"Lily..." Michael whispered softly. She sighed without waking up. Michael knew that they'd stayed awake until they couldn't before giving in and falling asleep. More than that, he knew that Lily  _hated_  to get up if they didn't have to, especially if they were cuddled up. "Princess..." Michael whispered sweetly. Lily shifted in his arms.

"Mmmmgoway."

"What?" Michael asked.

"Go away. Sleep. Cold.  _So fucking cold_."

"Sentences, Lils."

"Hmmph." Lily ignored him and decided instead to readjust herself, digging her head into his chest and sighing.

"Seriously, though, wake up. I wanna kiss you."

"You can wait," Lily grumbled.

"We could go get some breakfast or something..." I added.

"Noooooo," Lily moaned.

"You don't like food anymore? What happened to you?" Michael asked playfully.

"I dooo it's just--" Lily's eyes opened and she looked at the watch on her wrist before continuing. "Mikey it's eight in the morning! Why so earlyyyyy?"

"Ask the nurse with the squeaky wheel," Michael said. "Let's go get some food, I'm hungry."

"But sleeeeeep," Lily whined, grabbing onto Michael's t-shirt and balling it in her hand.

"I hope you realize that I can pick you up like it's nobody's business," Michael taunted.

"Michael, I swear to Go-- Put me downnnn!" Lily squealed when Michael stood up, still holding her. Michael laughed.

"Not until you say we can go get breakfast, Lils."

"Ughhhh fineeee," Lily whined. Michael planted a kiss on her cheek and lowered Lily's legs to the floor, letting her feet hit the ground. He grabbed their Serpent jackets from the chair that was next to them, handing Lily the pale yellow one.

"Wait, no," Lily said, pushing it back at him. "Let's go without them." She paused as Michael put the jackets back. "Let's take  _them_  too," Lily added and motioned to Cheryl, Toni, Veronica, and Archie. Michael nodded. Lily proceeded to wake up both couples gently.

"Huh?" Archie asked. Cheryl, Toni, and Veronica just yawned.

"We're gonna go get some breakfast, wanna come with?" Lily asked.

"Count me in," Cheryl said, getting up from her chair.

"Sure," Veronica said, standing up.

"But sleeeeep," Toni and Archie groaned.

"You can sleep later, there's food to be had," Lily added.

"Okay, fine," Archie said. Toni shrugged and they both got up. The party of six started walking down the hall to the food court on that floor. Michael took Lily's hand as they walked, their fingers entwining like branches growing into each other. Michael leaned down to Lily's ear.

"I hope your mom is doing better this morning," he whispered. Lily looked up at him and he smirked. A sense of peace was able to flood through her veins and she smirked back.

"Me too," Lily added. The previous day's events were still running through her head.

Lily regretted not being able to pull her Mom down to the basement with them, and they all could have escaped the Jones house before anyone got hurt. She could tell from a single interaction with her mom that Betty was in a fragile state and she didn't want to overstep her bounds. After all, Lily believed that one of the best things for Betty at the moment was to spend time with Jughead and to quietly recover. Of course, Lily  _wanted_  to be able to spend some time with Betty, but she didn't want to intrude.

Michael still didn't know what actually happened with Betty. The previous day, he chose to hang up his phone when Jughead went back into their house. Lily couldn't tell him when she came out of Betty's room because she was crying, and Michael could tell that she was hurting from whatever it was. Though he didn't know the truth, he had an idea of what probably happened, and it was correct. The best that  _he_  could do was to help Lily get her mind off of it.

When all six of them entered the cafeteria, they saw someone that they'd never expect to see sitting by themselves. The whole group walked over to him. He had a coffee, his crown beanie, and a solemn look on his face. Lily put her hand on his shoulder.

"Dad?" She asked. Jughead looked up at her. "I thought you were still with mom... What are you doing out here?"

"Long story, I guess," he replied. Lily motioned to Cheryl, Toni, Archie, Veronica, and Michael to take a seat at the table that Jughead was hogging.

"We've got a while," Lily said, sitting between Michael and Jughead. Jughead sighed.

"Alright, if you really want to know..." He said, pushing his coffee to the side. "Betty didn't sleep too well last night. She woke up once really panicked, and I was able to get her back to sleep. About an hour later, she had another bad dream where she started scratching at her neck, trying to get Malachi's touch off of her I guess. I tried to stop her from harming herself in her sleep and I grabbed her hands. She woke up really violently and, not realizing it was me, pushed me off of the bed."

"Oh my God," Lily muttered.

"I don't blame her," Jughead added. "She realized what she did very quickly and has apologized over and over, but it  _shook me_. I was just surprised. I helped her get back to sleep but I sat in the chair next to her instead of getting in the same bed. Betty was really sad about that, but she was able to get back to sleep and that's what really mattered to me. I've been out here for a while. I was about to go back and check on her."

"I'll go with you," Lily said, getting out of her seat.

"Alright," Jughead replied, standing up with his coffee. "The rest of you should go and get some breakfast. It's not terrible." Cheryl, Archie, Veronica, Toni, and Michael got up and walked towards the serving area as Lily and Jughead walked out and down the hall.

The walk back was quiet. Jughead only spoke when they were three doors away from Betty.

"I should've sent someone up there to protect her," He muttered. "I should've even though she protested."

"I tried to get her to come with Michael and I, but she wouldn't budge," Lily added. "If mom hadn't stayed, our house could be in ruins or burned or whatever, but she was sacrificing herself for our sake."

"Your mother is one of the bravest women I know," Jughead told Lily. "Cheryl, Toni, Veronica... They're fearless, willing to take on any challenge... You and your mother are of a different breed." Lily and Jughead stopped in front of the door. 

"Your mom, at the age of sixteen, looked a serial killer in the eye, then knocked him out, and called the cops." Jughead paused. "And then twenty years later, you look  _Penny Peabody_  in the eye and tell her that you would rather die than release information about the Serpents. I'm at a loss for words, Lily, I really am." Jughead slowly opened Betty's door and he let Lily in before shutting it.

Betty was still asleep, embracing a pillow as she slept. Her soft breathing resonated through the room. Jughead smiled when he saw how peacefully Betty was sleeping... and then he saw the bruises and the scratches.

Betty's neck was covered in purple splotches, evident where Malachi had put his hands on her. There were reddish-pink marks where Betty was scratching at her neck, easy to see that some areas on the skin had opened up and bled. Lily leaned over to her dad.

"Are some of those scratches new?" Lily asked quietly. Jughead took another look.

"Not since the last time I saw her," he replied softly. Lily let out a sigh of relief. She and Jughead walked towards the side of the bed. They both sat down in the chairs, watching Betty sleep. 

Right after they sat down, Betty's face scrunched and she held the pillow closer to her. Jughead quickly slipped his hand into the palm of Betty's. She woke with a start and her eyes locked immediately on Jughead's.

"Hey," Jughead said, "Bad dream?"

"Yeah," Betty replied, her voice back to normal. She looked down at Jughead's hand and held it a little tighter. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Betty. I keep telling you that. You weren't really awake and it was in your reflexes. You couldn't help it. I shouldn't have grabbed you the way I did."

"I still feel bad though, Juggie," Betty replied.

"Well, as you told me last night...  _Don't_." Jughead paused. "Okay?"

"Okay," Betty responded. She looked over at Lily and realized that she was sitting there. "Hey, kiddo."

"Hey, mom," Lily said as Betty let go of Jughead's hand, sitting the hospital bed up. Betty smiled and patted the area next to her on the bed. Lily got up and sat next to her mom, swinging her legs onto the mattress. Betty opened her arms up for a hug, and Lily held onto her.

"I love you, Lils," Betty whispered.

"I love you too," Lily replied. "And thank you... for risking your life for Michael and I..."

"You've risked your life multiple times for everyone around you... your dad... the Serpents...  _twice_..." Lily chuckled. "You wouldn't stand down to the Ghoulies and neither would I. Whatever it takes to keep you safe, Lily." Betty and Lily let go of each other and smiled.

For the first time in about twelve hours, Betty was able to smile with the help of Jughead and Lily's company. Later, Archie and Veronica entered the room in place of Lily and were able to keep Betty smiling. Cheryl and Toni stopped in for a quick hello, then had to make sure that Cherie wasn't causing problems back at the Wyrm.

By lunchtime, Lily, Michael, Archie, Veronica, and Jughead were all sitting in the hospital room, aiming to take Betty's mind off of the situation. She was discharged by Dr. Masters a few hours later.

As Jughead helped Betty into their car, he felt an odd sense of anxiety that something else was going to happen, not soon, but eventually.

Little did the Jones' know as they rode home that Malachi was recruiting and plotting for what he believed to be his best plan yet.


	58. "Keep Your Eyes on Me"

**-3rd Person-**

After Jughead brought everyone back to the Jones house, he found Sweetpea, Fangs, and his dad standing outside of the front door. They and Jughead had a quick conversation. The three Serpents spent all night cleaning up the house after what happened with Malachi the day before. They fixed up the doors, cleaned the floors, and moved any furniture back to where it was supposed to be.

"Thanks," Jughead said. "Thank you  _so much_." 

He knew how terrible it would have been for Betty to come home and see the two people that she took hits on laying on the floor. She could have broken down, had a panic attack, or worse. Jughead was happy to know that someone else knew exactly what he was thinking about it.

FP, Sweetpea, and Fangs gave Jughead a quick hug, then took off in FP's truck back to the Whyte Wyrm. Jughead helped Betty out of the car as Lily and Michael waited patiently for them, then they all went inside together.

Jughead took Betty up to their master bedroom immediately. Jughead shut the door behind Betty and himself and turned to face her. She stood still and glanced at him when she realized he stopped. Betty looked into Jughead's eyes, then hugged him tight with one swift movement. 

Betty didn't cry or explain why she hugged him so fast, but she just did it. She closed her eyes and sighed as Jughead held her head to his chest calmly. He allowed his chin to rest on the top of her blonde head. Betty's arms held tightly around Jughead's torso, never wanting to let go of him. They had been standing there for about five minutes before Jughead said anything.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "Do you want to get comfortable and lay down?..." 

Betty nodded from the inside of Jughead's hug, her face rubbing against his S t-shirt and Serpent jacket.

"Do you need my help?" asked Jughead. She nodded again. "Okay," he whispered. "Pajama pants and one of my S t-shirts?"

"And one of your hoodies..." Betty muttered. Jughead chuckled to himself. 

"Anything for you, Betts," Jughead replied, kissing the top of Betty's head. She smiled to herself and allowed Jughead to lead her to their bed. Betty sat on the edge of the bed as she watched Jughead grab the clothes from the different drawers. 

Jughead walked back over to Betty with a grey S t-shirt, and a pair of black and white plaid flannel pajama pants folded in his hands, with a navy blue hoodie draped over his shoulder. Betty smiled at him as Jughead got closer to the bed, setting all of it next to her. Betty's head followed his movements.

They looked each other in the eyes after Jughead stood up straight. Betty unknowingly had crossed her arms in front of her chest. Their eye contact persisted as Jughead carefully let his fingertips touch the underside of Betty's upper arms. Her stiffness melted with his touch and her arms fell back to her sides.

"Sorry," Betty said quietly. "I didn't know that I was being so tense."

"No, no, it's fine. You don't need to apologize for that," Jughead whispered. He took off his crown beanie and set it next to the pile of fresh clothing. "It's just your reflexes again, Betts. Nothing you should be apologizing for. Nothing at all." Betty nodded. "Let's go ahead and get you changed, shall we?" Jughead asked. Betty smiled and nodded.

"I'm going to get your jacket first," he said softly. Betty nodded. Jughead carefully slid Betty's Serpent Jacket off of each arm and pulled it off of her back. When she no longer had the leather jacket on, Betty started to shiver. Jughead quickly put the jacket on the bed and held onto the upper part of her arm, letting his fingers swipe lightly on her skin. Betty sighed and blinked slowly, allowing her eyes to wander into Jughead's.

"Are you going to make it?" He asked jokingly. Betty chuckled to herself lightly.

"Yeah, it's just a little cold right now," She replied.

"I'll work quicker then," he added softly. Betty chuckled to herself again. Jughead smiled at the sight of Betty's grin. He was happy to see Betty closer to being herself.

"Alright. Shirt next," Jughead said. Betty nodded and Jughead's fingers found her way to the bottom of the loose t-shirt that she was wearing. He lifted it up slowly, let Betty put her arms up, then pushed the t-shirt up and off the rest of the way. 

Betty looked down at herself immediately. She saw the bruise from the taser, and then the rest of the ones from Malachi and his other goon. They were mostly on her wrists from where she was held to the floor, but there was a large one from the taser just above her belly button. Betty had bruises down her sides where Malachi kicked her with his steel-toed boots as she was pinned to the floor. Remembering all of this was painful for Betty. A tear fell out of one of Betty's eyes and hit the floor of the bedroom. Jughead watched it fall after he set the worn t-shirt down.

"Hey, hey," Jughead interjected caringly, lifting Betty's chin with two fingers and bringing her eyes to his. "Keep your eyes on me, okay?" He asked. Betty nodded and sniffled. "Good."

She watched his eyes for the rest of the time that Jughead helped her. He picked up the grey S t-shirt and helped her into it, Betty only breaking eye contact with him while the shirt was over her head. 

After the t-shirt, Jughead had Betty sit on the bed as he took of her shoes and socks, then proceeded to assist her by pulling down her pants. Betty bore down on Jughead's shoulders as she stepped out of her jeans, then he kneeled and helped her to put on the new pajama pants. Jughead saw every bruise that was left by Malachi and ignored it through Betty's beauty.

Jughead tied the string below her belly button as Betty lifted the slightly too large S t-shirt. When he was done, Jughead carefully held onto the sides of Betty's abdomen and pulled her closer to him as he kissed the bruise left by the taser. Jughead could feel her giggle but wince at the same time. He stood up quickly and held onto her hands.

"Did I cross a line?" He asked.

"No," Betty replied, a smile gracing her face and a tear rolling down her cheek. "It's still a bit sensitive, but I liked it." Jughead put a hand on the side of her face and wiped the tear away with his thumb.

"What's the tear for?" He asked, taking his hand away.

"It was a sweet gesture," Betty replied, placing both hands on Jughead's face and pulling his lips to hers as she connected them. Jughead let his arms wrap around her back lightly, knowing she was still bruised. They pulled away with a pop, and then Jughead helped Betty into his hoodie. 

The sleeves of the navy hoodie ended at the tips of Betty's fingers and Jughead thought she looked good in it. When they were done, Betty almost immediately hugged Jughead. He would have let it go on longer, but Jughead thought it would be better to get Betty under the covers and resting.

"You wanna get some rest?" Jughead asked quietly. Betty smiled and nodded, inhaling Jughead's scent. She pulled out of the hug and held onto Jughead's hand and she pulled him over, climbing onto the bed, and crawling across to her side. Betty made herself at home, sliding under the covers quickly and laying down with her head on her pillow. Jughead quickly kicked his shoes off and joined Betty under the covers, facing her. Betty smiled at him and flipped over, beginning to giggle.

"Come here, you!" Jughead joked. He pulled Betty towards him by the torso and she squealed with surprise, turning it into a giggle.

"Juggie!" She giggled as Jughead quickly kissed Betty's neck. He pulled her so close to him that there was no room between their bodies. Jughead's arms were around Betty's torso, forearms overlapping and hands interlocked. He wasn't going to let her out of his grip.

Betty would never want to leave his hold. She covered his locked hands with her own, thumbs gently stroking the backs of his hands.

Betty knew she was safe now, encased in Jughead's arms and his scent all around her as she drifted into the best sleep she'd had since the incident.


	59. Scarred

**-Lily's POV-**

_I saw my mom laying in her hospital bed, looking weak._

_That flashed to seeing my dad struggle against Sweetpea, trying to get to my mom._

_Everything whirred and I saw the Ghoulie Warehouse up in flames._

_Switch again, and I saw myself kicking Malachi square in the face._

_The woods popped in next, the fighting with the Ghoulies that night, seeing my dad's bloody, beaten body._

_Suddenly, Penny Peabody was tied to a chair with a switchblade in her shoulder and my spit on her face._

_I saw as I ran from Dylan Sartor with tears in my eyes on the day that I would never forget._

_Malachi was crumpled to the ground after I stabbed him in the thigh that first night in the woods._

_All of these memories cycled through my dreams, finally landing on one of the most traumatizing events of my life._

_I sat tied to a chair, freezing cold. I could barely pick my head up, but I managed. There came a taser to my side before I was yelled at for not complying._

_Taser. Scream._

_Taser. Scream._

_Taser. Scream._

_Taser. Scream._

_Taser. Scream._

_T_ _aser. Scream._

_I wasn't giving up, and Penny was getting mad._

_She had her goons pull out the electroshock and they put it on me. That electric current was even worse._

_Jolt. Scream._

_Jolt. Scream._

_Jolt. Scream._

_Jolt. Scream._

_It continued on and on until Penny was tired of my games and threatened to kill me._

_She gave me a ten minute break as she stepped out of the room. I was shaking. Trembling. Anxious. Scared, but also too stubborn to give up._

_When Penny came back, she brought the rest of the Ghoulies with her._

_She asked for suggestions from the crowd._

_She got one and went with it._

_I was untied and thrown from the chair onto the cold, hard concrete floor. I winced with the frigidity of it. Pressure was applied to keep my body down on the ground. I didn't try to struggle; it wasn't worth it._

_Penny forced my night shorts down far enough to look at my tattoo. She grinned maniacally, then took a switchblade to it._

_The next thing I knew, there was a crown cut into where I had my Serpent tattoo._

_It displayed my position for all to see._

_It displayed my family for all to see._

_It bashed my pride for all to see._

_I was being shamed for the family that I was born of and proud of. I was being shamed for the way I was raised and the decision that I made to join the Serpents._

_That's what it meant for the tears to roll down my cheeks in the warehouse._

_That's what it meant when my blood was spilled on the concrete floor._

_I was reminded of how when Michael accidentally touched it that one day, it hurt like hell._

_When he saw it in its full image for the first time, he kissed the scabbed cut on my bare hip._

_The searing pain was too much to contain._

My eyes flew open and my body rocketed upright. I was sweating and my heart rate was off the chain. I looked at my clock:  _3:25 AM._  I sighed and let a few tears roll down my face, knowing I would not be able to get back to sleep so easily.

My sweaty and shaky hand grabbed my phone from the nightstand. I unlocked it and called Michael immediately.

Two rings and he answered.

"Lily?" He answered groggily.

"Michael..." I replied, sniffling and smiling through the few tears that ran down my face.

"Is everything okay?" He asked. I could tell that he knew I'd been crying.

"C-Can you come over?" I asked shakily. He'd left around 4 the previous afternoon to go home.

"Booty call or bad dream?" Michael asked.

"The latter," I replied, remembering everything that happened in the dream. I started sobbing quietly, and Michael could hear it across the line.

"I'm on my way," He said as I heard his sheets ruffling. He probably kicked them off of his legs. "I'll be there in five. Make sure the ladder is out there."

"Bye," I said.

"See you in a bit," he replied and hung up.

I took my phone away from my ear and let it plop back onto my nightstand. I sighed. I had to get through the next ten minutes before Michael could hug me.

I closed my eyes, trying to forget, but all it helped to do was flash everything back through my head. I jumped out of my bed and started pacing, continually wiping the tears off of my face. I got tired of doing that, sat on the window seat, and backed up to the wall behind me. I pulled my knees to my chest and rested my forehead on them, sobbing quietly.

Before I knew it, I heard a light knock on the window. I picked up my head and saw Michael on the ladder, wanting to come in. He was wearing one of his plain t-shirts with a pocket on it, a pair of boxers, and his glasses. (He usually wore contacts, but it was the middle of the night and he drove to my house.) That was it. No shoes, no socks. He looked  _hot_.

I, startled, jumped up and threw the window open. I stepped back and started pacing the floor again. Michael climbed in quickly, closed the window, and caught me in his arms.

I held onto him tightly as my sobbing picked up again. Michael rubbed my back tenderly.

"Shh..." He whispered in my ear as the tears continued to fall. Michael kissed my temple and held the back of my neck, letting me bury my face into his neck. Michael rocked back and forth, calming me down as the tears dried up.

"It was just a dream, Lily," he said. I nodded into his neck and gulped. "You know that, right?" I nodded into his neck once more. He walked me over to my bed and we sat down on it. I released from the hug and let my head rest on Michael's shoulder. He still held on to me and let his hand linger on my right side, dangerously close to the crown etched in my hip.

"What was it this time?" He asked sweetly, breaking the silence.

"A little of everything," I sniffled. Michael brought his left hand to my face and wiped the last tear away. "Mostly the warehouse."

"The kidnapping or--"

"Yes." My answer was immediate and somewhat blunt.

"Geez, Lils... I'm so sorry. I wish we could have gotten there sooner."

"It's not even that," I replied. "It's what she did."

I could tell by the silence that followed that Michael knew exactly who "she" was and exactly what she did. The  _multiple_  things she did to me.

"Most of it was watching myself getting cut like a slow motion car crash," I said. "But as I was watching, I felt the blade in my side all over again."

Michael looked zoned out, but I knew that he'd only heard everything that I just said and was shocked. He sighed.

Swiftly, Michael pulled me onto his lap so that I was straddling him. He held me tightly with his strong arms and rubbed my back. I let my chin rest on his shoulder and he leaned his head against mine, my arms wrapped around the back of his neck.

Michael shifted his head slowly and kissed my neck softly. Sparks coursed through my body. I giggled.

"Not that I'm complaining... But what are you doing?" I asked. He kissed my neck two more times before answering me.

"Appreciating your scars," He said. "They make you even more beautiful."

"That's why I love you, Michael," I replied.

Michael pulled away from my neck and crashed his lips on mine. I let my hands hold the back of his head and neck as we continued to kiss slowly.

He pulled away with a pop. I looked Michael in the eyes.

"What is it?" I asked. He looked at my left arm, hanging over his shoulder. He took it in his hand gently and found the scar from the surgery when my arm was broken. Michael looked me in the eyes as he pressed his lips to it. I giggled as he put my arm back on his shoulder.

"I want to kiss all of your scars," he whispered.

"Even the ones on the backs of my legs?" I asked, referencing to the twelve cuts that the Ghoulies gave me in the forest.

"That's a weird place to kiss," he said. I giggled. "I'll make it up to you," he said as he bit his lip, then started kissing my neck again. My breath hitched as he kissed all over twelve different times.

"Mhmm..." I sighed as he applied his tenth, eleventh, and twelfth kisses on my neck.

"And that's for those," he breathed against the crook of my neck.

"If I have a hickey tomorrow, I'm going to kill you," I whispered. He chuckled.

"You would never! You love it too much," He replied.

"I do," I giggled. Michael held me away from his chest for a moment, his fingers grazing my back and his palms resting on my sides, just taking all of me in.

"I need this shirt off," Michael whispered. He bit his lip and looked into my eyes.

"Okay," I whispered, biting my lip back at him. Michael let go of my sides and supported my hips, keeping me stable. I quickly pulled off the t-shirt of his that I slept in and threw it on the floor behind me. Michael gently placed his hands on my sides again and grinned at me.

"The original taser mark. Can I kiss it?" He said, asking permission.

"Go ahead," I replied.

The bruise that used to be above my belly button had vanished for the most part. There was still a light mark there.

Michael, realizing that he was too tall to lean down to kiss the mark, picked me up and laid me down on the bed. He stood up straight in between my legs and pulled his shirt off before holding onto my sides once more and planting his lips above my belly button. I giggled. He let go of the kiss and looked up at me. Michael smiled.

"I think you know what's next," he said. "But I need your permission."

"Go ahead, Michael," I said, looking into his dazzling blue eyes that I could see, even in the darkness. He looked down at my hips and pulled my shorts down.

"It's easier to just pull them off," he said, taking them off of my legs completely and throwing them next to the shirt that I ditched.

Michael leaned down to my right hip to see my Serpent tattoo, ending right before the top of my underwear. It was mutilated by the crown shape. I knew it. He knew it. Michael's smile didn't fade when he saw my tattoo for the second time.

Michael bent over me and tenderly kissed my hip once, twice, three times, before I could take it no more and sat up and grabbed Michael's face. I directed his lips to mine forcefully.

Michael's soft lips brushed against mine, asking for more each time they reattached. Our lips were like magnets, drawn to each other. He was eating away at the cherry chapstick that I used before I fell asleep. 

Through the kiss, Michael lost his balance, and I pulled him down with me so that I was laying back on the bed and he was hovering over me. Without breaking the kiss, Michael climbed up to where I was and flipped us over so that I was now straddling him. He pulled away for a moment.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I feel like I missed one," he said.

"I mean, if you count the bindings Penny used while I was in the chair--" I was cut off. Michael grabbed one wrist at a time and kissed the inside of each.

"That's covered," he said. "What else?"

"The electroshock on my forehead--" Michael cut me off again and kissed my forehead three times.

"Any others?" He asked. I paused.

"Dylan," I said somberly. "He grabbed my ankle that d--" Michael kissed my jawbone, silencing me.

"Ankles are weird places to kiss too," he said. I giggled. "Every taser or electroshock you've had I will make up with every kiss that I give you for the rest of my life..." I kissed his lips again before pulling away.

"You've forgiven him, haven't you?"

"Yeah," I said. "I did." I smiled. "It felt good to forgive him."

"That's good," he replied. I yawned and started to lay on his chest.

"Oh good..."

"What?" I yawned.

"You look like you're ready to go to sleep now."

"Was that--" I yawned again. "--your goal?"

"Eventually," he whispered. "C'mere." Michael pushed me off of him and climbed under my covers, then patted the area next to him on the bed.

"Urgh," I replied, too tired to move. Michael rolled his eyes and pulled me next to him, helping me get under the covers.

I snuggled up to him immediately and used his chest as my pillow. One of my legs entwined with his under the covers and I fell asleep easily. Michael stayed with me for the rest of the night.


	60. The Right Direction

**-Jughead's POV-**

I woke up the next morning when sunlight hit my eyes. My eyelids struggled to open and stay open at first, but they eventually complied. The sunlight from the window was really only hitting one eye. Betty's blonde, wavy hair was in front of my other eye. I smiled and sighed. 

We fell asleep spooning. It was a step in the right direction.

Her body was pressed against mine. I was holding Betty around her torso, right below her belly button. Betty's hands held mine, our fingers interlocked. I could hear her soft breathing. She was at peace, and I was so happy for it.

I gave Betty's hands a light squeeze. In her sleep, she let go of my hands and rolled over, her forehead burying itself into my chest. Betty sighed and I readjusted my arms so that I was hugging her. Betty wrapped her arms around me and held on.

I kissed Betty's forehead lightly. Her eyes flickered open. 

Emerald green, the same emerald green that I fell in love with as a kid, as a teenager too, and as I still do as an adult. 

She smiled at me and took one of her hands to my face. 

But her smile.  _Her smile_. It was like one of those reflectors that you put on the dashboard of a car to keep the heat out: bright and blinding. She was happy to see me.

Betty's touch was soft and gentle, as it had always been. Whether they were in my hair, on my face, laced in my hands, or holding me close, there was nothing like Betty's hands. 

"Hey, Juggie," she said to me. Betty's voice was smooth and calm, like Sweetwater River. I couldn't help myself and kissed her forehead softly three more times. Betty giggled.

 _And that laugh_. The one that broke through my soul. It was angelic. Her laugh reminded me how in love I really am with this beautiful, stronger-than-life woman. I removed a hand from her back, lightly took Betty's hand off of my face, and brought it to my lips, kissing her palm. I didn't know what else to do, so I put her hand on my neck and let my free hand linger on hers.

"Hey, Betts," I managed to say. I didn't know what else to say to her. 

I glanced at her lips... so full, so kissable. I pulled Betty's head and neck in and I kissed her lips gently. To my relief, she kissed back, taking my lips into hers. We kissed softly as I let my fingers play with Betty's hair.

We both pulled away at the same time. I sighed and we looked into each other's eyes, smiles taking over our faces.

"I was just about to make some coffee," I said. "Do you want some?"

"That sounds great, Juggie," she whispered.

"I'll bring it to you," I said.

"You don't have to do that," Betty added.

"But I want to," I insisted.

"I won't stop you then," she replied.

"I'll be right back," I said, kissing her forehead one more time before slipping out of Betty's arms and getting out of our bed. I brushed my hair back with my hand as I walked and opened the door, leaving it cracked open. I thumped down the stairs with every step I took and walked into the kitchen, quickly starting the coffee.

It started to brew as I heard more feet coming down the stairs. Thinking it was Betty I sighed and said...

"Betty, I told you that you don't have to--" 

I was cut off by not seeing Betty, as I had presumed, but Michael. He was wearing a plain t-shirt, boxers, and glasses.

"Oh..." I said. "Sorry, I thought you were Betty."

"Well good morning to you too, Mr. Jones."

"Not to be rude... but when did you get here?" I asked.

"Lily called at 3 AM because she had a bad dream," he said. "I've been here since about 3:30."

I nodded, already knowing that Lily would call Michael if she had a bad dream and he would show up to comfort her.

"I appreciate that you do that for her," I replied. "Lily has been through a lot. Betty has too, but I'm always around for her." I paused. " It's important, I think, for you to be able to be here for Lily when she needs you. I admire that kind of commitment." 

I took the coffee pot and poured two mugs of coffee, one for me and one for Betty. 

"Thank you, Mr. Jones," Michael said. I started mixing Betty's mug how she liked it. I preferred mine dark. "I actually had an idea, if you wouldn't mind..."

I looked up from Betty's mug that I'd just emptied a sugar packet into. 

"Sure," I replied. "Fire away."

"I know that Mrs. Jones has been through a lot with what happened a few days ago, and I know that Lily has been through a lot just in general... and all because of the Ghoulies. I was wondering if we could do something for them."

"I don't know if there's anything we really  _can_  do. I doubt they would be up for some sort of party--"

"Not a party, Mr. Jones," Michael interrupted me as I emptied a creamer into Betty's coffee. "Not at all." 

I was surprised. His tone was a lot more serious than his usually cheerful one. I started to stir Betty's coffee with a spoon.

"Well what are you proposing then?" I asked, still looking down at Betty's coffee.

"Revenge," he said bluntly. My head shot up and I let go of the spoon in Betty's coffee.

"What did you just say?" I asked.

"Malachi and his one other goon are the only Ghoulies left in Riverdale. You and the Serpents have killed or driven out all of the other ones. We could find the two of them and end this once and for all."

"Are you mad?" I asked. "Finding Malachi and killing him would--"

"End everything," he said. "After talking with Lily last night I realized... It would be over if Malachi was dead. The Ghoulies would be over. The  _rivalry_  would be over, Mr. Jones."

I realized he was right, but finding Malachi would be next to impossible.

"Lily's suffering,  _Betty's suffering_ , would come to an end. Malachi would be dead."

"I am not going to lead all of the Serpents on a giant manhunt," I said.

"Not all of them," Michael said. "It doesn't need to be everyone. Just enough to get the job done."

"We're already looking for Malachi. We'll find him on our own time," I replied.

"Not to be rude, Mr. Jones, but the Serpents are just waiting for him to pop up. He could be anywhere. Malachi won't want to show himself. He's hiding. If we take a team to bust into wherever would be the most likely place of hiding, we would be able to corner him."

"Breaking into several buildings is not going to help, especially if we choose the wrong one."

"Well, baby steps," he said. "We figure out which is the most likely place that he's hiding."

Just then I heard a door creaking open. I stopped Michael from saying any more. Feet began to come down the stairs. It was Betty. I smiled. She saw Michael.

"Oh!" She said, somewhat startled. "Michael, I didn't know you were here," she added. Betty walked over to me and I handed her cup of coffee to her. She set it back down on the counter and hugged me tight.

"Michael, would you excuse us for a moment?" I asked. He nodded and left the kitchen.

"Is everything okay, Betty?" I asked, hugging her back.

"I started to fall asleep and a bad memory flashed across my mind," she whispered. "I just needed to come and hold you for a minute."

"Was it  _him_?" I asked.

"You can say his name, Juggie," she replied. "And... yeah... it was." 

I sighed and closed my eyes for a moment, knowing what I needed to do.

"Thank you for telling me, Betty," I whispered. She nodded into my chest. "Just a moment." She nodded.

"Should I go back to our room?"

"No, stay with me," I said. I looked up. "Michael!" I called. He came back into the kitchen. I was still holding Betty in my arms.

"We'll do it. Just give me some time," I decided. Michael nodded. I signaled for him to leave the kitchen. He did and I heard him climbing the stairs.

"What was that about?" Betty asked.

"Nothing for you to worry about," I whispered sweetly and left a soft kiss on her forehead. "Nothing at all."


	61. The Locker

**-Michael's POV-**

After I went back up the stairs to Lily's room, she'd woken up and grilled me about what I'd been doing. 

I couldn't tell her the truth; "Oh, I just talked to your dad about going and killing a former but still notorious gang leader."  _Absolutely not_. Instead, I told her that I talked to him about when I could schedule a time to get my Serpent tattoo. She bought it, but now I'd actually have to talk to Jughead about that. 

Lily and I got dressed quickly. It was the first day of school after spring break. I still had my glasses on because I forgot to pick up my contacts before I drove to Lily's house the previous night. 

This had been one of the longest weeks of our lives. With everything that happened, it seemed surreal to both of us that a lot of things happened within the course of a week. We'd broken up, gotten back together, helped blow up a warehouse, seen Penny Peabody dead,  _and_  seen Malachi still alive after the fact. It was probably the worst and most intense spring break that any kid in America had, especially for Lily. She'd been through so much. 

That's why I talked to Jughead this morning, but I would never tell Lily that. 

Lily and I got in my car and I drove us to school. She was excited to go back to a sense of normalcy.  _Normalcy_  for her being before even spring break happened. She meant that she wanted to go back to how everything was before her first trip to the hospital after her and her dad's encounter with the Ghoulies and death. I didn't blame her. I wanted that too.

That's also why I talked to Jughead. With Malachi gone for good, everything would go back to normal. 

Lily and got out of my car after I pulled into the student parking lot, grabbed our backpacks, and started walking towards the entrance hand-in-hand. We'd just passed the flagpole when Lily's best friend, Cherie Topaz ran up to us. We stopped where we were. 

"Lily! Michael! D-Don't go inside, just don't!" She exclaimed. Lily dropped my hand. 

"Why not, Cher?" Lily asked. 

"Believe me, just don't!" 

"Is something going on?" I asked, thinking someone could have gone berserk or a fight broke out. 

"Yes, it's just not a good thing that's happening. You should just leave. Yeah, just go--" 

"Cherie, I'm not going anywhere," Lily said.

"Please, just go, the Serpents can handle it." 

"Okay, Topaz, what the  _fuck_  is going on inside?" Lily asked sternly. 

"I-I can't--" 

" _Topaz!_  If you do not tell me  _right now_ \--" Lily was cut off. 

"Your locker has been--" 

Lily heard these words and ran inside, dodging anyone else in her way. Cherie and I looked at each other, then ran inside after her, moving around people as fast as we could. I was trying to find Lily. Cherie said something about her locker, so I routed to where that was. 

I turned the corner to the hallway where Lily's locker was and ran into three people, knocking them and their books down as well as the glasses on my face. I picked up my glasses and put them on. 

I looked up and saw a giant crowd taking up almost the full hallway. I helped the people pick up their things, then started pushing through the crowd, Cherie right behind me. Phone flashes were going off in rapid succession, all aimed at the same thing. I could see a grey crown beanie in the middle of the crowd where there was a space surrounding Lily's locker. 

I stumbled into the middle, expecting there to be another person to push by. 

"Lily?" I asked. I hadn't even seen the locker. She pointed at it, tears running down her face. I turned around and faced the blue Riverdale High locker. 

_Go fuck yourselves, Serpent Princess and Northside Prince - M._

It was spray painted messily in yellow, centered on Lily's locker, but stretching across the ones on either side of hers. A large yellow crown was posted above the rest of the writing, mocking her and her scar. 

I turned around and looked at Lily again, open-mouthed. She was frozen to the spot, silently crying. She stepped forward suddenly, trying to touch the locker. I caught Lily in my arms, not letting her get past me and not letting her go. 

"Lily--" 

"Let me go Michael!" She yelled as I watched Dylan and a few other Serpents push through the crowd with cleaning materials they probably stole from the janitor. They were scrappy like that. 

"I think we should let them clean this up," I said in her ear. 

"No!" She exclaimed. 

"Stop making a scene, we should talk about this in private, Lils." She stopped struggling and allowed herself to be pulled away by me. 

I nodded to Dylan on the way out. He and a few other Serpents started blocking off the hallway so they could clean Lily's locker. Cherie met us in the crowd and helped me guide Lily away as the crowd disappeared. I ushered the three of us into an empty biology classroom. I tugged Lily inside and Cherie locked the door behind us. She stationed herself next to the door as I pulled Lily away. 

Lily held onto me tighter than she had the previous night after she had the nightmare. She was crying audibly now, not wanting to let go and not knowing how to stop. 

"Hey, can we talk about this?" I asked. "It's really not that big of a deal--" 

"Not that big of a deal?!" She exclaimed pulling out of the hug. "Michael! The student body doesn't know who the Serpents are!" 

"I mean, the Serpents are a gang... They should know they exist..." 

"Of course they know they exist!" She yelled. "They didn't know  _I_ was a Serpent! They don't know  _you're_  a Serpent! They don't know that  _Cherie_  and  _Dylan_  and  _all the other teenage Serpents_  in this school are Serpents!"  

"Lily--" 

"We've just been  _exposed_ , Michael. This is dangerous. They know not only that I'm a Serpent now..." 

"But you  _are_  one--" 

"Michael, she's not _just a Serpent._ You know that," Cherie piped in. 

"I'm not just a Serpent," Lily said. "I'm Serpent Royalty." Her arms fell at her sides with a clap. "It sounds pompous when I say it like that, but it's true. What Malachi called me,  _Princess_... it's true. I  _am_  a princess. I don't wear flowy dresses or wear a literal tiara, but I am a princess. I'm a Serpent by blood. It runs through my grandparents and parents. The Jones' have Serpent blood. The Coopers have Serpent blood... among other things. I am the heir to the Serpents. When my dad retires, it's me. I'll be the queen. I've known this forever. But now the whole student body knows." 

"And that's dangerous because Malachi could be recruiting--" 

"Please don't say that." She stopped me. "I don't ever want to hear anything about that terrible man ever again." She paused. "But yes. They'd know that I could be an easy target." 

"You're  _not_  an easy target!" I said. "You're dangerous, Lily!" 

"No I'm not--" 

"Yes, you are, Lily. I've seen it. You've survived everything this town has thrown at you and you'll keep surviving. You're the strongest person I know, Lils." I started listing things on my fingers. "That first encounter in the woods. The kidnapping and your visit to the warehouse.  _Literally everything that happened in there._  Penny's kidnapping and your interrogations of her. All of these dreams and panic attacks you've had over them. Your second venture to the warehouse. Everything that happened with your mom..." 

"Please stop," she said. "Don't mention that either." 

"Just one more," I said. "Your locker. You've survived it all. You'll keep surviving. And I'm sorry that I didn't fully understand your position, but I get it now. However you need me to act because of that burden, I will act that way. I won't let any it come between us." 

I pulled Lily into another hug. We held each other for some time until there was a knock on the door. Cherie opened it and stuck her head out. Dylan was on the other side. He whispered something into Cherie's ear. She nodded, then he ran off. Cherie closed the door again. 

The bell rang, signaling that we should start to head to first period. 

"We should go," Cherie says. I nod. 

"Let's go then." Lily and I walked towards the door. Cherie held it open for us. I kissed Lily, and we headed in our separate directions: Cherie and I to the math hallway and Lily towards the foreign language hallway. She gave me a faint smile as she turned the corner, out of sight. 

Cherie got my attention back. 

"Northside Prince," she said bluntly. My head snapped towards her as we kept walking. "Dylan came by to tell me something interesting about what happened to Lily's locker." 

"W-What is it?" I asked. 

"We have a tech kid that can hack into the security system to see the cameras." 

"What does this--" 

"I'm getting there. He looked into the cameras over Spring Break and it showed last night that someone, an adult, slipped in and wrote that on her locker.  _An adult_." 

"What the--" 

"There's more. It was Malachi." 

" _What?_ " I asked. 

"It was signed 'M'.  _Who else would it be_?" She asked me as we walked into the classroom, splitting in different directions to head to our desks. 

In that moment, I became more angry with Malachi than I ever thought that I could be. Not even Lily coming up to me after first period to say she wanted to go home made me more angry than I was after I heard who did it. 

I was determined. 

Malachi would pay for everything he'd done to Lily and the Jones family. 

Soon. 


	62. Back to Sunnyside

**-Two Months Later-**

Jughead Jones and Michael Keller stood in the briefing room, hovering over a table and clad in their black leather Serpent jackets. For the past two months, they had been trying and failing o find where Malachi was hiding. Jughead would send scouts to various abandoned buildings on the Southside to search the premises for any sign of Malachi. So far, everywhere they checked showed no trace of the curly-haired Ghoulie or his comrade. There was one instance where they did enter a building because they thought he could be there, but Jughead was wrong. 

Nothing had been heard of about Malachi since the incident with Lily's locker. For the week after, Lily and Michael stayed at home to do their classwork, letting the talk simmer out naturally. They didn't have to face the judgmental eyes of the student body and did their work from Lily's house. 

Michael had learned how to ride a motorcycle, thanks to Lily and Jughead. He became so good that Jughead bought Michael his own motorcycle to be kept at the Whyte Wyrm for missions, a specific one in mind. 

Betty was still acclimating after her incident with Malachi, but was making great progress in those five days that Lily and Michael stayed home. She made even more progress after that, too, with Jughead's help. She was able to get back to work when Lily and Michael went to school again, and her nightmares were no longer every night, though they still occurred once or twice a week. 

Jughead and Michael began having secret meetings at the Whyte Wyrm twice per week, telling Lily and Betty that it was guys only pool night. They both rolled their eyes at the lingering misogyny and let them go, Lily believing that it would be good for her father and boyfriend to have some time together. So for the past two months, Jughead, Michael, Dylan, Archie, Joaquin, Kevin, Sweetpea, Fangs, and FP would crowd in the briefing room to discuss where Malachi could be. It was a frustrating process, finding a spot that seemed right and being wrong. 

Most recently, Jughead had sent Fangs as a scout to see if Malachi was hiding out at Old Sunnyside Trailer Park, the one that was burned during the riots when Jughead was sixteen. Jughead believed that it was the last place he could be, but Michael thought it was a good idea to check under every rock. 

There they were, everyone huddled around the table, being close to giving up, when someone burst in. 

It was Fangs. He was out of breath as he closed the door behind him. Jughead turned around to face him. He was getting angry that it was so hard to find Malachi. Believing that Fangs was only being chased by a dog, Jughead was still irritable. 

"He's hiding out," Fangs panted. "In the Old Sunnyside Trailer Park." 

"Right now?" Jughead asked. 

"Yes, I saw him, Jug!" Fangs answered. 

"Let's gear up then," Jughead said. They did as they were told, readying themselves for a fight.  Each grabbed their switchblades, a pair of leather gloves, and Michael grabbed a baseball bat. 

"You probably won't need that," Dylan said to him. 

"Yes I will," Michael replied. 

"There's no use for it," Dylan retorted. 

"Then I'll  _make_  use for it." 

Outside, Jughead mounted his motorcycle at the front of the pack, everyone behind him together in pairs. He was ahead of FP and Archie, Dylan and Michael, Joaquin and Kevin, and Sweetpea and Fangs. When helmets and gloves were on, Jughead grinned and let himself sit down, lifting a foot from the ground. With a rumble, all the bikes started up at once. Jughead motioned for them to stay together and not to break formation. Then they were off.  

The Serpents flew through the abandoned Southside on their motorcycles. They were at Old Sunnyside in less than seven minutes. They had slowed to a quiet crawl as they approached the abandoned trailer park, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. They stopped and quietly shut off their bikes, dismounting. Jughead took out his switchblade and clicked it open, signaling for the rest to do the same.  

There were five trailers left standing after all these years: five possible places for Malachi to hide. Jughead took the Topazes' trailer, Michael and Dylan took Jughead and FP's old trailer, FP and Archie took Sweetpea's old trailer, Joaquin and Kevin took the abandoned DeSantos trailer, and Fangs and Sweetpea were at the Fogartys' old trailer. 

They all kicked in the doors at the same time, rushing inside. Where Jughead, Joaquin, Kevin, Sweetpea, and Fangs found nothing, Archie and FP, and Michael and Dylan found what they never expected to see: 

Archie and FP found Malachi's goon in Sweetpea's old bathtub, OD'd on the last remnants of Jingle Jangle. 

Michael and Dylan found something much more interesting: Malachi sitting in Jughead's old trailer. He was just sitting there, looking a bit loopy. He was laughing to himself in the dark, as the power was cut from Old Sunnyside twenty years ago. 

"I'll hold him here, you go get Jughead," Michael said to Dylan. He nodded and ran off. Malachi hadn't even acknowledged the presence of Michael or Dylan. When Michael pointed his open switchblade at Malachi's neck, he didn't move, but kept laughing to himself. 

Jughead stumbled in and saw Malachi sitting on the couch. He slowly put his blade to the skin of Malachi's neck. That's when he stopped laughing. 

"The JJ'll get to me first," His words slurred. "I took three, Jones, after I saw your scout. I'll be dead soon and it won't be because of you..." He laughed again. 

"Not if we kill you first," Jughead whispered in his ear. "This is for my wife, you son of a bitch." Jughead took his switchblade and shoved it into Malachi's left lung. He started wheezing. 

"For Lily," he muttered. Michael stepped forward and did the same, stabbing his right lung. Malachi started to cough up blood. Jughead and Michael pulled their switchblades out, stepped back, and watched as Malachi's chest deflated slowly, his face turning purple and gasping for oxygen. His lungs couldn't hold any air with the holes in them. 

Malachi slumped back, his face still purple, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and seeping into his white tank top from his chest. Jughead got all of the Serpents huddled in his trailer, then got his dad to start a fire in the giant dumpster that still stood.  

Sweetpea, Fangs, Archie, and Michael picked up Malachi's body and brought it to the dumpster where Dylan, FP, and Kevin stood. The four carrying Malachi threw his body in the fire, as well as their gloves, burning all evidence of what they'd done.  

Jughead, not wanting to stand around for too long, made the next part quick. He spoke through the silence. 

"We will never speak about this again," Jughead said. "To no one. Not even to each other. Do not ever write any of this down. We were not here this night. We were at the Wyrm.  _Playing pool_." 

Everyone nodded. 

"Now let's get out of here," Jughead said. They ran back to their bikes and sped off back to the Wyrm.  

No one spoke of it again. 

Except one of them. 


	63. A New Reign

**-Later at the Wyrm-**

"Mr. Jones, are you alright?" Michael asked Jughead as they climbed into Michael's car. Jughead, who was thinking about everything that just happened, focused back on his daughter's boyfriend. 

"Yes, everything is great," Jughead replied as he waved to Archie, who just pulled out of his parking spot, heading back to Veronica at Thornhill. 

"What were you thinking about?" Michael asked. "That we can finally relax?" 

"Not exactly," Jughead said. "I was just thinking that... if you wanted to... not  _now_  but later...if you wanted to eventually marry Lily... I would not be opposed in the slightest." 

"Mr. Jones--" 

"I heard what you said to Malachi," Jughead continued. "Not that I was surprised those two words were going to come out of your mouth, but I'm happy that you did say it." 

"I love her, Mr. Jones," Michael replied. "Eventually, yes. I would like nothing more than to marry Lily." 

"You have my blessing for when that time comes," Jughead said. "Just let me and Betty know when you're going to propose." 

"I'm thinking a year or two after we graduate high school," Michael said and smiled. 

"That's what I did for her mom," Jughead said. "Okay, let's go see them, shall we?" Michael nodded and hopped into the driver's seat, Jughead in the passenger side. 

They drove back to the Jones house with smiles on their faces, knowing that they could relax after the past few months.  

"You know what I just realized?" Michael asked as they drove. 

"What?" Jughead replied. 

"With Malachi and his goon both took Jingle Jangle. His goon OD'd, Malachi was about to. There was no other Jingle Jangle anywhere. No full tubes of it, anyways. We not only killed off the Ghoulies, but we eradicated that stupid gutter drug too." 

"Huh," Jughead said. "You're right."  

Jughead had, in fact, noticed that. He stayed behind in his old trailer a little longer and found something that he knew to be quite precious to Malachi. It was sitting in his pocket as they spoke. 

Michael pulled into the driveway, and he and Jughead got out, going inside the house. Jughead immediately pulled Betty and Lily into his arms. 

"What's this for, Jug?" Betty asked him as she and Lily giggled. 

"It's over. It's all over," Jughead sighed. 

"What do you mean?" Lily asked. They stepped out of the hug. Jughead looked at Michael. 

"The pool tournament--" Michael said, quick on his feet. "Mr. Jones is just mad because Sweetpea beat all of us." Jughead, still looking at Michael, smiled and turned back to his wife and daughter.  

"He's right. I'm mad at Sweetpea." 

"You're so dramatic," Betty said, rolling her eyes. "Dinner is ready if you'd like to join us, Michael." 

"I'd love to," Michael replied, walking to Lily and taking her hand. They all walked to the table and sat down, enjoying what Betty cooked up. 

When dinner was over, Michael said that he needed to get going. Lily walked him to the door after Michael said his goodbyes to her parents. 

Michael stopped in front of the door and turned to Lily. 

"Do you  _have_  to go?" She whined. 

"Yes, Princess," He said. "But I wanted to give you something first." 

"What is it?" Lily asked. Michael pulled a simple ring out of his pocket. 

"Michael if you're gonna propose--" 

"I'm not proposing marriage, Lils," He stopped her. "It's a promise ring. A promise that, when the time is right, we'll get married. Not now, but a few years in the future. I know this is a big step but--" 

Lily pulled his face down into a passionate kiss. They pulled away with a pop. The kiss made Michael pause. 

"Of course," Lily said. "Now put it on my finger before I change my mind, you goof!" They laughed as Michael slid the simple silver band onto Lily's left hand. They kissed two more times before Lily let him go home. 

That night, the Jones family, as well as the rest of Riverdale, was able to sleep peacefully. No one was kidnapped, no one was plotting to take over another gang or to save anyone else. They just slept. Neither Lily nor Betty had a nightmare that night, though Jughead held Betty close all night long. 

When they awoke, there was no one kidnapped, hurt, or in the hospital from the Serpents' ranks. 

Things were finally able to turn back to normal. 

**-One Year Later-**

It was the Serpents' annual graduation party for those teenage Serpents that were now becoming official adult Serpents. Lily, Michael, Dylan, and Cherie were all there, partying their hearts out after they just finished at Riverdale High. Though there was no threat, Michael kept Lily close and Jughead did the same with Betty. 

The Serpent King and Queen had been having the same conversation for the past month. It was finally time for them to act on it. They stepped up onto the stage arm-in-arm and Jughead signaled for Sweetpea to stop the music. The music stopped and so did the dancing. All eyes were on the King and Queen. 

"Betty and I have an announcement," Jughead proclaimed. There were whispers in the crowd. "Though we are still young enough to have kids, she's not pregnant, so settle down!" Jughead joked. "No. We're retiring from the Serpents."  

There were gasps all around.  

"What?" Lily asked herself. "Oh my god..." 

"Yes, we're stepping down. It's time we leave, too. It's been twenty-one years, goddamnit, let us relax," Jughead continued. He and Betty looked at their daughter in the crowd. Everyone else was already looking at her, what was two more pairs of eyes? "Lily, could you come on up here, kid?" 

"Go!" Cherie, Michael, and Dylan said at the same time, pushing her towards the stage. She stumbled before letting herself walk forward and up the stairs to the stage. She stood next to her parents. 

"Fangs!" Jughead yelled. Fangs ran on stage with a golden crown that looked something like Jughead and Lily's crown beanies. Betty reached over to Lily's head and took her crown beanie off. 

"Wh--" 

"I made this for you to start your legacy," Jughead said to Lily. Jughead took the golden crown from Fangs and walked over to Lily. He placed it on her head. It slid to the crown of her head, just like her beanie did. Jughead turned back to the crowd. 

"Your new Serpent Queen," Jughead proclaimed. He motioned to Lily. She was still in awe. "Lily Jones!"  

Cheers erupted from the crowd and a smile was plastered on her face. Lily hugged her mom and then her dad, then they stepped off of the stage. 

"Alright..." Lily said, stepping forward. "My first act as Serpent Queen... Yo Sweets!" 

"Yeah?" He asked. 

"Turn the music back on!" There were cheers. "This party's going  _all night!"_

There were even louder cheers as the party intensified. Jughead and Betty smiled at their daughter as she ran down to them.   

"Good luck, kid," Jughead said to her.  

"If this party's going all night, we should leave now," Betty laughed. 

"Okay, that's fine," Lily said. "You'll still be around, won't you?" 

"Once a Serpent, always a Serpent," Jughead said. "Your grandfather is still here after all these years. We'll be here too."  

Lily hugged both of her parents, then stepped back. 

"Oh! And I'm gonna spend the night at Michael's tonight if you don't mind..." 

"Wha--" Jughead began. 

"You do you, kiddo," Betty said, giving her a fist bump. Lily smiled and ran off to join Michael and her friends on the dance floor. 

"I cannot believe--" 

"Oh shut it, she's the Queen now," Betty said as they started walking towards the exit. "I remember  _your_  first night as Serpent King." 

"Okay, fine," he replied, holding the door open for Betty. "Before we go home, we need to run an errand." 

"Sure," Betty said, getting in the passenger side. Jughead sat in the driver's seat. They pulled out of the Whyte Wyrm. 

After a few minutes on the road, Betty realized they weren't leaving the Southside. 

"Where are we going, Jug?" Betty asked. 

"Betts, I need to tell you something," Jughead said. "Back before Lily and Michael finished their junior year, Michael and I and a few other Serpents started looking for Malachi and his idiot friend. We were looking for revenge. We found both of them in Old Sunnyside. Michael and I... killed Malachi." 

"Jughead  _what?!_ " Betty exclaimed. Jughead stopped the car next to what used to be the Ghoulie fire pit. 

"There's more, Betty. We burned his body, then vowed never to speak of it again. I felt I needed to tell you because you're my queen." 

"We don't have the Serpents anymore--" 

"I'm not talking about the Serpents, Betts, you're still my queen. My wife. My love." He paused. "I found his taser in the trailer he was hiding in." Jughead pulled the taser out of his pocket. "He puts the initials of everyone he'sever tased on it." 

Betty looked down at the taser in his hand. There was an evident "JJ" with a crown around it from the first night in the woods, and "LJ" was there was well, several times. A crown surrounded each time Lily's initials appeared. "BC" was on there too, for her. 

"I guess people used his taser sometimes," Jughead said to her. "But he still counted it. Will you come with me to dispose of this monstrosity?" 

"Yes," Betty answered. She and Jughead hopped out of the car, and she took Jughead's arm as they walked towards the woods. It was already dark, so Betty took out the flashlight on her phone. Betty and Jughead walked the trail until they found a good spot. They turned towards the trees and Jughead let go of Betty, taking the taser in his right hand. They looked at each other and nodded. 

Jughead faced what seemed like endless trees ahead of him. 

He threw the taser as far as he could. 

**And in that moment, the Jones' original plight with death came full circle.**

**And from that moment on, Jughead, Betty, Michael, and Lily could live without fear of taking another step nor another Trip Into the Woods.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END  
> I hope you enjoyed this!


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